The modern open-heart feature gained traction in 1994, when Frederique Constant introduced its Heart Beat line with a dial window to show the mechanical movement inside. For many people, an open-heart watch sparks an interest in mechanical watchmaking — or introduces them to the idea that a watch can run entirely without a battery. The look can be polarizing among collectors; some find the openings distracting or edging toward gimmicky, while others are happy to see the inner workings of a watch in action. Either way, these watches make a largely hidden process visible, and there is something entertaining about seeing the parts move.
As a basic definition, an open-heart watch offers a glimpse of its movement through a dial opening, usually revealing the oscillating balance wheel. You are, in effect, seeing the beating mechanical heart of the watch. For this list, we’re focusing on watches that reveal moving parts of the mechanism through openings in the dial, leaving tourbillons and full skeleton watches for another day.
The following 11 options span familiar Swiss, Japanese, and American brands alongside two smaller European names, arranged broadly by price. Unless otherwise noted, prices are U.S. list prices at the time of writing.
[toc-section heading=”Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Open Heart”]
Price: $1,025, Case Size: 40mm, Crystal: Sapphire, Water Resistance: 100 meters, Movement: Automatic Powermatic 80
The Gentleman is Tissot’s versatile steel watch, and this version opens the upper-left portion of the dial to show the movement. The blue surface and applied markers retain the collection’s clean styling, with a steel bracelet and 100-meter water resistance making it suitable for regular wear. An 80-hour power reserve lets it sit out a weekend without needing to be reset, while a Nivachron balance spring improves resistance to magnetism.
[toc-section heading=”Orient Bambino Open Heart”]
Price: $455 from Orient USA, Case Size: 40.5mm, Crystal: Domed mineral, Water Resistance: 30 meters, Movement: Automatic F6T22
Orient has long offered an extensive open-heart catalog, with the Bambino Open Heart joining in 2018. Its caliber F6T22 was developed specifically for the brand’s open-heart watches, and here the balance is visible through a circular opening at 9 o’clock. Polished markers and slim hands keep the white dial readable, while a domed crystal and leather strap carry over the familiar Bambino styling.
[toc-section heading=”Bulova Surveyor Open Heart”]
Price: $550, Case Size: 42mm, Crystal: Mineral, Water Resistance: 30 meters, Movement: Automatic Miyota 82S0
Bulova’s Surveyor is one of the more straightforward options here, pairing a blue dial with luminous hands, markers, and a steel bracelet. The opening near 7 o’clock reveals the balance without taking much space from the otherwise conventional layout. At 42mm, it’s also among the larger watches on the list. Inside is the Miyota 82S0, with an exhibition caseback offering a second view of the movement and its winding rotor.
[toc-section heading=”Seiko Presage Classic Open Heart SPB527″]
Price: $1,200, Case Size: 40.2mm, Crystal: Dual-curved sapphire, Water Resistance: 100 meters, Movement: Automatic 6R5J
The Seiko Presage Classic collection draws on traditional Japanese colors and textures, with the SPB527 pairing an indigo-blue dial with a silk-inspired texture. A subtle bevel frames the exposed mechanism at 9 o’clock, making the opening feel connected to the dial’s decoration. The deep blue dial contrasts with polished hands and markers, while a 24-hour subdial sits at 6 o’clock. The automatic 6R5J supplies a three-day power reserve. As expected, this watch makes for one of the better open-heart watches out there today.
[toc-section heading=”Hamilton Jazzmaster Open Heart Auto”]
Price: $1,295 on bracelet, Case Size: 40mm, Crystal: Sapphire, Water Resistance: 50 meters, Movement: Automatic H-10
Hamilton is less restrained with this Jazzmaster, using irregular cutouts to expose several parts of the movement through the blue dial. The openings stretch around the hands and markers, giving the watch a more novel appearance than the traditional dress watches elsewhere on the list; there’s more machinery to see, though enough dial still remains to keep the time readable. It comes on a steel bracelet, with the H-10 caliber providing an 80-hour power reserve.
[toc-section heading=”Frederique Constant Classics Heart Beat Automatic”]
Price: $2,095, Case Size: 22mm wide 42.3mm tall, Crystal: Sapphire, Water Resistance: 60 meters, Movement: Automatic FC-311
The Heart Beat aperture helped establish Frederique Constant’s identity, and this Classics model houses it in a classically attractive rectangle case. Art Deco design and a lovely blue dial give it a traditional feel, with the exposed balance framed at 12 o’clock. Dauphine-style hands and a rectangular inner dial section create a nice sense of finishing on the dial as well and the FC-311 movement is a reliable staple.
[toc-section heading=”Raymond Weil Freelancer Automatic”]
Price: $2,895, Case Size: 42mm, Crystal: Sapphire, Water Resistance: 100 meters, Movement: Automatic RW1212
Raymond Weil gives the exposed balance a prominent place in the Freelancer, positioning it beneath a bridge at 6 o’clock and echoing the look of an openworked tourbillon. Two central hands and simple applied markers keep the surrounding blue dial clear, giving the watch a more formal feel. The automatic RW1212 was developed with Sellita and named for the postcode of the brand’s headquarters in Grand-Lancy, Geneva. A steel bracelet, screw-down crown, and 100-meter water resistance make it practical for an everyday wear open-heart watch.
[toc-section heading=”Rado True Square Automatic Open Heart”]
Price: $2,950, Case Size: 38mm, Crystal: Sapphire, Water Resistance: 50 meters, Movement: Automatic R734
Rado’s True Square brings a square case and ceramic construction to the selection. Its broad openings approach skeleton-watch territory; Rado itself describes the dial as skeletonized. But with “Open Heart” in the name and sections of dial still framing the movement, welcome to the list. The black ceramic case flows into a matching bracelet, with polished surfaces that benefit from the material’s scratch resistance. We featured the white version in our square watch roundup, though the black gives the exposed mechanics a different backdrop.
[toc-section heading=”Zenith Chronomaster Open”]
Price: $11,100 on bracelet, Case Size: 39.5mm, Crystal: Sapphire, Water Resistance: 100 meters, Movement: Automatic El Primero 3604
Zenith introduced the Chronomaster Open in 2003, describing it as the first chronograph with a partially open dial specifically revealing the regulating organ and escapement of its high-frequency El Primero. The current 39.5mm version frames the exposed mechanism with contrasting counters, including a transparent small-seconds register that overlaps the opening. Its central chronograph hand circles the dial every 10 seconds, allowing elapsed-time readings to the tenth of a second.
It’s the most expensive watch here by a considerable margin, with the El Primero’s chronograph functions and history accounting for more of the appeal than the aperture alone; the open dial has also been part of Zenith’s design vocabulary for more than two decades. Spending further into luxury watchmaking brings tourbillons and fuller skeletonization into consideration, but the Chronomaster Open remains a top-level fixture of this particular style.
[toc-section heading=”Zeppelin LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin”]
Price: $374 at Holland Watch Group, Case Size: 40mm, Crystal: Mineral, Water Resistance: 50 meters, Movement: Automatic Miyota 82S5
Launched in 2002 by family-run POINTtec, Zeppelin draws its inspiration from historic airships, with watches assembled in Ruhla, Germany. This model takes its name from the LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin, pairing a gold-tone case with a gray dial and black leather strap. The open heart sits beside a separate small-seconds register, giving the otherwise traditional dial an unusual, slightly askew arrangement. Inside, the Miyota 82S5 automatic provides about 40 hours of power reserve.
[toc-section heading=”LIP Himalaya Automatique Cœur Battant”]
Price: €429, including tax, Case Size: 40mm, Crystal: Sapphire, Water Resistance: 50 meters, Movement: Automatic Miyota 82S5
Founded by Emmanuel Lipmann in Besançon in 1867, LIP is one of France’s better-known watch names, with an avid following for vintage models like the Nautic-Ski diver and Roger Tallon’s unconventional Mach 2000. Its Himalaya collection recalls the 1950 French ascent of Annapurna, with “Cœur Battant” translating to “beating heart.” This version pairs an opening near 7 o’clock with small seconds around 4 o’clock, set against a silver-white dial. Assembled in LIP’s hometown, it uses the same Miyota 82S5 as the Zeppelin. A camel-colored leather strap adds warmth, while sapphire offers more scratch resistance than mineral glass.
