Chapter 7 Skeleton, Swiss mechanics in motion on Lake Neuchâtel

Skeleton watches are not known for keeping their mechanics quiet. That is rather the point.

With an openworked watch, the movement is no longer hidden behind the dial. Bridges, wheels and gears become part of the visual experience, changing with the light and with every movement of the wrist.

The Chapter 7 Skeleton explores that transparency through a distinctly BA111OD design. Its Swiss automatic skeleton movement sits within an architectural stainless-steel case, finished with contrasting polished and satin-brushed surfaces. The result is expressive, mechanical and deliberately contemporary.

For its campaign, the watch leaves the workshop and heads a few minutes down the road, to Lake Neuchâtel.

Loïc Huguenin and the art of staying in motion

The campaign features BA111OD Playmaker Loïc Huguenin, a Neuchâtel-based foil athlete recognised as one of Switzerland’s leading wingfoilers.

In the film, however, there is no wing and no sail. Loïc is pump foiling.

The discipline relies on the controlled movement of the rider to generate and maintain momentum above the water. By shifting his weight in a precise rhythm, Loïc keeps the foil moving without the assistance of a motor, wave or sail.

It looks fluid when performed well, but the simplicity is deceptive. Every movement has an effect. Balance, timing and energy must remain closely connected, as even a small loss of rhythm can bring the ride to an end.

That relationship between energy and control made pump foiling a natural setting for the Chapter 7 Skeleton. In both, movement is not simply present. It is what keeps everything working.

 

“Neuchâtel is our playground” is not intended as a simple campaign slogan.

For BA111OD, Neuchâtel is both our watchmaking home and a place of experimentation. It is where our watches are imagined, developed and assembled, but it is also where we find many of the people, landscapes and ideas that shape the way we communicate them.

The region brings together two worlds that are sometimes presented as opposites. There is the precision and discipline of Swiss watchmaking, but also the openness of the lake, the changing light and a strong culture of outdoor movement.

Calling Neuchâtel our playground means allowing those worlds to meet.

It means taking a watch beyond the traditional workshop setting and placing it in the environment that surrounds its creation. It means working with local playmakers such as Loïc, whose discipline expresses qualities that resonate with watchmaking without trying to imitate it.

Most importantly, it reflects the freedom BA111OD has always wanted to preserve: the freedom to explore Swiss watchmaking from a different perspective while remaining firmly rooted in where we come from.

A skeleton watch designed around transparency

The stainless-steel case brings structure around the complexity of the openworked movement.

Its design was developed by BA111OD Senior Designer Liliane Murenzi, whose work is central to the visual identity of the collection. Here, the challenge was to create a case with enough presence to frame the skeleton movement without overwhelming it.

Polished surfaces reflect the surrounding light, while satin-brushed sections introduce contrast and help define the geometry of the case. Rather than applying one uniform finish, the combination gives the watch a more layered and architectural appearance.

The crown sits at 4 o’clock, one of the recurring elements of BA111OD’s design language. Beyond giving the case an asymmetric profile, its position allows it to sit more naturally against the wrist.

Transparency, asymmetry and mixed finishes are all familiar elements within Liliane’s design vocabulary for BA111OD. On the Chapter 7 Skeleton, they are brought together around the movement, allowing the mechanics to remain the focal point.

What makes a skeleton watch different?

A skeleton watch reveals parts of the movement that would normally be concealed behind a dial.

Doing so changes both the construction and the appearance of the watch. Components that usually perform a purely mechanical role become part of the visible design, which means the calibre must be considered aesthetically as well as technically.

The challenge lies in finding balance. Opening the watch too extensively can affect legibility or make the dial feel visually chaotic. Revealing too little can reduce the sense of depth that makes a skeleton watch compelling in the first place.

A contemporary approach to Swiss skeleton watchmaking

The Chapter 7 Skeleton does not try to reproduce the codes of a historic pocket watch or traditional dress piece.

Its starting point is mechanical, but its expression is contemporary. The asymmetric steel case, crown at 4 o’clock, open architecture and contrasting finishes give it a character that belongs to the BA111OD design language.

It is also a watch shaped by its environment.

On Lake Neuchâtel, with a local athlete moving across the water only a short distance from the workshop, the ideas behind the watch become easier to understand. Precision does not have to feel static.

Mechanics do not have to remain hidden. And Neuchâtel watchmaking does not always have to be photographed behind a workbench.

Sometimes, it can head out onto the lake.

Chapter 7 Skeleton specifications

• Swiss-made Soprod P024SQ automatic skeleton movement
• Openworked dial
• 40mm 316L Stainless-steel case
• Polished and satin-brushed finishes
• Crown positioned at 4 o’clock
• Sapphire crystal 
• Transparent caseback
• Stainless-steel bracelet or frost blue rubber strap
• Designed and assembled by hand in Neuchâtel
• Swiss Made

Discover the Chapter 7 Skeleton

The Chapter 7 Skeleton brings Swiss mechanics into full view through an openworked movement, an architectural steel case and a design shaped by light and motion.

Created in Neuchâtel and captured on its home lake, it reflects our approach to watchmaking: rooted in the region, open to experimentation and designed to be worn.

Discover the Chapter 7 Skeleton.