One of the reasons I find Philipp Plein interesting as a brand is because the company produces two incredibly different types of watches that exist on polar opposite sides of its catalog. While Philipp Plein’s top-of-the-line offering is a Swiss-made flying tourbillon with a price tag equal to that of a luxury automobile, the brand’s appropriately named “Fashion Watch” collection consists of timepieces that all cost less than a thousand dollars. Among the latter side of its catalog is the Philipp Plein $keleton, one of the more premium models from the brand’s Fashion Watch series. However, it is hardly one of Philipp Plein’s most expensive products, and it ultimately costs a fraction of what the brand charges for one of its jackets or tracksuits.

The overall appearance of the Philipp Plein $keleton models is clearly inspired by Richard Mille’s “Skull” watches, although the actual case profile is a bit more closely related to Hublot’s Spirit of Big Bang series (which itself is inspired by the overall aesthetic of Richard Mille’s catalog). While Philipp Plein’s flagship Crypto King Flying Tourbillon also features an RM-inspired appearance, the brand’s $keleton watches are fundamentally different timepieces. Rather than being high-end watches aimed at an enthusiast-driven demographic, Philipp Plein’s Fashion Watch models are very much “fashion watches” in the traditional sense of the term, and they primarily serve as attainable accessories for individuals who want to wear a watch from a recognizable luxury brand, but who don’t have the same deep-seated passion for watches (or the disposable income) to spend thousands of dollars on a true luxury timepiece.

The Philipp Plein $keleton series spans a variety of different models that are all based upon the same core blueprint. Some iterations feature cases crafted from a material the brand calls “Eco-ceramic” (which I imagine is somewhat similar to the “Bioceramic” material used for the MoonSwatch), while others have bezels set with a rainbow-colored assortment of synthetic stones, similar to what can be found on the brand’s $keleton Royal and $pectre Lady watches. With that in mind, the specific version featured here is the Philipp Plein $keleton ref. PWBAA2324, which embraces a vibrant black and green colorway with a black IP-coated stainless steel case and a neon green silicone bezel. Although the bezel prominently features six black screws, these “screws” don’t actually rotate, and they appear to be extensions of the middle case that help secure the bezel while also providing an aesthetic flourish that mirrors the functional case screws that characterize Richard Mille’s watches.

The tonneau-shaped case of the Philipp Plein $keleton measures 44mm in diameter by 14mm thick, and while the vertical measurement of the case comes in at 49.5mm, the case extends at either end to create center links for the integrated strap that increase the total lug-to-lug dimension to approximately 56mm. Although these center link sections are part of the middle case, they ultimately function as part of the strap (similar to how the end-links of bracelets technically increase the lug-to-lug profile of the watch), and the Philipp Plein $keleton actually wears far closer to the 44mm by 49.5mm dimensions that apply to just the central portion of its middle case. The remainder of its lug-to-lug presence wraps around the sides of the wrist, and this helps to evenly distribute the 115 grams of the watch (strap included) to create a surprisingly comfortable wearing experience.

Sitting within the Philipp Plein $keleton’s green silicone bezel is a curved mineral glass crystal, while the reverse side of the watch receives a mirror-polished stainless steel caseback that is secured by four small screws with the inscriptions “Philipp Plein Est. 1978” and “Made for Heroes” engraved around the perimeter of its display window. Sitting at the 3 o’clock location is a signed hexagon-shaped winding crown that operates with a standard push/pull-style action, while a small skull and crossbones emblem appears on the opposite side of the case at 9 o’clock, and water resistance for the $keleton series comes in at 50 meters to protect against most forms of daily contact. The curved shape of the crystal follows the profile of the bezel, and while I would have personally preferred to see sapphire instead of mineral glass, a sapphire crystal is a premium feature primarily valued by enthusiasts, and it would have largely been overlooked by most of the casual buyers who purchase these types of fashion watches.

As its name suggests, the Philipp Plein $keleton is a skeleton watch, and it features an open-worked display that reveals sections of its internal movement. Sitting in the center of the dial is a large skull and crossbones emblem with a carbon fiber finish and, on the ref. PWBAA2324, the brand’s “PP” logo is printed on the skull’s forehead in bright green letters. A trio of partially skeletonized hands with a matching neon green finish displays the time against a series of applied circular hour markers, while a minute track is printed in white along an angled chapter ring that surrounds the outermost periphery of the dial. Additionally, while the hour and minute hand both feature a partially skeletonized shape with luminous inlays, the seconds hand receives a skull-shaped counterweight to echo the motif that can be found throughout the rest of the watch.

The lume on the hands of the Philipp Plein $keleton ref. PWBAA2324 appears white in the daylight, while the lume that fills its applied circular indexes is green, although both types of luminous material emit a green-colored glow in the dark to further lean into the black and green colorway of the watch. That said, the brightness and duration of glow are fairly standard, and while the luminous hands and hour makers undeniably help with low-light visibility, they are a far cry from what can be found on something like a purpose-built dive watch that is drenched in Super-LumiNova. While lume performance is moderate, the neon green silicon used for the bezel and strap on the $keleton ref. PWBAA2324 also fluoresces under a blacklight, which is a fun and unexpected detail for those who frequently find themselves at raves or nightclubs.

Powering the Philipp Plein $keleton is the Seiko NH70 automatic movement, which is the skeletonized time-only version of the Japanese manufacturer’s popular NHxx series of calibers. Just like its siblings from this rather ubiquitous range of self-winding movements, the Seiko NH70 has an operating frequency of 21,600vph (3 Hz) with a power reserve of approximately 41 hours. However, while Seiko’s NHxx movements are most frequently found in either date or day/date formats, the Caliber NH70 omits a calendar complication entirely to showcase its balance wheel and open-worked bridges. Despite having a skeletonized design, the level of finishing on the Seiko NH70 is largely the same as what can be found on other NHxx series movements, and aside from some striping on its rotor, the rest of the NH70’s components offer a rather spartan and industrial overall appearance.

Fitted to the case of the Philipp Plein $keleton is an integrated silicone strap and, on the ref. PWBAA2324 featured here, the strap is made from the same neon green silicone that is used for the bezel. The strap offers a perforated design with an overall appearance that is similar to what can be found on the brand’s flagship Crypto King Flying Tourbillon models, and it features a dramatically tapered design that extends all the way to meet the sides of the case before quickly narrowing down to 20mm where it connects to its chunky tang-style buckle that is given a black IP finish and signed with an additional skull and crossbones emblem. Using silicone instead of resin guarantees that the strap is incredibly soft and flexible, and its extra-wide structure near the case further helps to evenly distribute the weight of the watch across the upper surface of the wrist.

In many ways, the Philipp Plein $keleton could be considered a homage watch, although Philipp Plein is a luxury fashion brand, and the person who buys one of its $keleton models doesn’t just want a Richard Mille look-alike at a more affordable price. While Philipp Plein’s various Fashion Watch offerings cost a fraction of what the brand charges for many of its premium clothing items, they are hardly value propositions within the greater context of wristwatches, and just like any luxury fashion products, Philipp Plein’s watches have a premium attached to them, simply due to the name of the brand. With an official retail price of $820 USD, the Philipp Plein $keleton ref. PWBAA2324 is hardly a watch for value-conscious enthusiasts, although it also costs a fraction of what the brand’s customers routinely pay for its jackets and sneakers. Similar to how Tiffany & Co. produces astonishingly expensive high-jewelry pieces alongside affordable sterling silver bracelets, watches like the Philipp Plein $keleton are intended to be attainable fashion accessories that allow buyers to indulge in the brand at an exponentially more attainable price point. For more information on the Philipp Plein $keleton Watch, please visit the brand’s website.