Zelos Skyraider Titanium Skeleton - Limited Edition ETA 6498

The Zelos Skyraider Titanium Skeleton watch features a Swiss ETA 6498 hand-wound movement, and is shipped in a wooden box, with a convenient watch travel roll capable of holding several watches, and two straps, one a Horween Chromexcel brown vintage leather strap, and the other a military-style grey canvas strap with Horween backing.

We also carry a marine grade CuSn8 bronze version of the skeletonized Zelos Skyraider.

Why We Love This Watch

One thing that almost every watch collector wants who loves skeletonized movements with gorgeous exhibition case backs is a watch featuring the ETA 6498, which was originally a Unitas movement. This famous Swiss movement has a lot of horological history behind it, going back to it's 1950s debut in pocket watches, and is often a first choice in custom built watches of this type due to it's suitability for larger watches (that's more to look at!) and lack of automatic rotor so one clearly see the movement in operation. This reliable workhorse has also been a popular movement choice for brands to customize, with variations from the likes of Omega, Panerai, and Stowa.

Zelos didn't disappoint here either, with a lot of customization work on the movement to bring out the best of the mechanical marvel that is the ETA 6498. Seeing this timepiece running can be absolutely mesmerizing. Little touches add to the vintage styling such as a turbine engraving on the ratchet wheel, and snailing on the crown wheel, not to mention a lot of painstaking work cutting away parts of the bridges and components to reveal as much of the inner workings of the movement as possible. The finishing is very much on par for what you would expect from Zelos, with a modern anthracite PVD plating speaking to the modern industrial theme in Zelos's DNA but some beautiful finishing work too with Côtes de Genève engraving on the main plates and of course, blued screws. Nothing disappoints here.

The Zelos attention to quality doesn't stop with the movement. This watch features sapphire glass, a very strong Swiss Super-LumiNova lume, and two different straps with Horween leather. Horween is one of the oldest continually running tanneries in the United States and is rightly famous for the quality of their leather, with Horween straps being very long lasting, that can age and pick up a patina in the best of vintage styles. All of this helps tie-in with the vintage aesthetic of the Skyraider theme. These watches are named for the Douglas A-1 Skyraider, one of the last propeller-driven attack aircraft that lasted well into the jet age. Keeping that in mind, it all makes sense and comes together when you see the parallel with this movement originating in 1950s pocket watches still running strong in modern timepieces, and with the turbine engraving that is somewhat reminiscent of a spinning propeller.

Videos

Watch Specifications

• Type: Microbrand watch.
• Reference: Zelos Skyraider Titanium Skeleton.
• Limited Edition Size: 50 timepieces.
• Complications: Sub-dial with seconds.
• Color Scheme: Titanium and anthracite.
• Water Resistance: 5 ATM / 50 meters / 164 feet.
• Diameter: 42½mm, excluding crown.
• Lug-to-Lug Length: 50mm.
• Lug Width: 22mm.
• Height: 13mm.
• Case: Marine grade titanium.
• Case Back: Exhibition case back exposing custom work on the skeletonized movement.
• Dial Type: Fully skeletonized dial.
• Dial Glass: Scratch resistant sapphire crystal.
• Bezel: Titanium.
• Lume: Swiss Super-Luminova C3 and BGW9 .
• Straps Included: 1x 22mm Horween Chromexcel brown vintage leather straps with quick release pins, and 1x 22mm military-style grey canvas strap with Horween backing and quick release pins.
• Movement: 17 jewel hand wound Swiss ETA Unitas 6498 pocket watch movement with blued screws, Côtes de Genève engraving, and anthracite colored PVD finishes. The ratchet wheel features a turbine engraving, and the crown wheel features snailing with concentric circles.
• Oscillation: 18,000 BPH.
• Hacks: No.
• Hand Winds: Yes.
• Automatic Winding: No.
• Power Reserve: 44 hours.
• Manufacturer's Warranty: 1 year.