{"id":312648,"date":"2026-02-23T07:43:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T07:43:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/312648\/"},"modified":"2026-02-23T07:43:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T07:43:09","slug":"arsene-lippens-scheletrato-opaco-introducing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/312648\/","title":{"rendered":"Ars\u00e8ne Lippens Scheletrato Opaco | INTRODUCING"},"content":{"rendered":"

Borna Bo\u0161njak<\/a><\/p>\n

The Valjoux-powered Scheletrato is back in the Ars\u00e8ne Lippens collection for a time-limited drop.
\nAvailable in two colourways \u2013 iron grey and powder blue \u2013 the Scheletrato Opaco measures in at 39mm.
\nThe order window is open between the 23rd of February and the 3rd of March, 2026, and the watch is priced at CHF 4,350.<\/p>\n

Celebrating the success of their limited collaboration with Italian streetwear brand Forget About Me, Ars\u00e8ne Lippens is taking another stab at the Scheletrato, their skeletonised<\/a>, Valjoux-powered chronograph<\/a>. This new edition, the Scheletrato Opaco, is pretty much identical to its predecessor, save for the lack of F.A.M. branding on the dial and a change from blue leather to a sailcloth strap. Granted, Ars\u00e8ne Lippens does now offer a second colourway, tweaking the colour wheel ever so slightly to a powdery blue for the dial and sub-dial surround.<\/p>\n

\"arsene<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with a closer look at those dials. Immediately, it\u2019s obvious that Ars\u00e8ne Lippens wanted to show off that skeletonised Valjoux calibre<\/a> as much as possible, reducing the visual weight of the four sub-dials as much as possible. A curious feature of this Valjoux variant is that it features a date sub-dial, rather than a date window, a change that\u2019s most welcome in a layout like this. Whether you go for the blue or grey \u201cdial\u201d, the constant is that legibility is really quite poor\u2026 But that\u2019s not really the point of a watch like this, anyway. The stick hands<\/a> are finished well, with a pleasant polished curve, but they get completely lost against the light grey sandblasted surfaces of the movement.<\/p>\n

The 39mm steel case is an example of many well-considered design choices. Starting with the double-stepped bezel \u2013 it\u2019s become a brand signature shared across all of its collections \u2013 it also does a great job of reducing the unavoidable bulk that comes with the territory of a 7.9mm thick movement. Overall, the case measures 13.5mm thick, which is as thin as it gets with an automatic Valjoux, and, combined with a 45.5mm lug-to-lug length, will make for a decent wearing experience.<\/p>\n

\"arsene<\/p>\n

While fully polished throughout, I really do like how the case has been designed. The finishing is in line with its 1940s origins<\/a>, and small details like the indent on the inside of the lugs that gives them a more accentuated curvature are pleasant (and at this price point, expected). While Ars\u00e8ne Lippens doesn\u2019t position this as a sporty watch, the Scheletrato Opaco still has 50 metres of water-resistance<\/a>, which is plenty for what it\u2019s meant for.<\/p>\n

A quick word on the strap\/bracelet variants: Ars\u00e8ne Lippens offers the new Opaco with either a dial colour-matching sailcloth or a multi-link beads-of-rice bracelet. I\u2019d most certainly opt for the latter purely because of the looks, though the former is equipped with (very slightly) curved spring bars \u2013 another considerate design choice.<\/p>\n

\"arsene<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll spend the most time talking about the drawcard of the Scheletrato Opaco, which is, without a doubt, its movement. For a (really) long time, the Valjoux\/ETA 7750 was a ubiquitous choice when it came to chronographs, with its many variants featured in everything from $500 Swiss Army monsters to respected IWC and Omega chronos. With supply being effectively wiped out, prices climbed, and the rise of challengers like the Sellita<\/a> SW500 and La Joux-Perret L100 offered better consumer-facing specs like higher power reserves and a column wheel, most brands understandably moved away from the 7750.<\/p>\n

This meant that if you want to make a somewhat approachably priced Swiss chronograph with a skeletonised movement, you\u2019d be in trouble, as neither of the aforementioned Valjoux alternatives offers that. Sure, you could go the Norqain route and have something Sellita make you something custom-designed<\/a>, but the SW562 base is not really in the spirit of classical skeletonisation<\/a>. You\u2019re left with the few 7750 skeleton variants out there, which have skyrocketed in price \u2013 a single unit goes for ~A$2,000, some four times more than an SW500.<\/p>\n

\"arsene<\/p>\n

The result? A well-designed watch with a legendary movement, but at a price that makes you scratch your head a little. Don\u2019t get me wrong, the Valjoux is a legend for good reason, and even though its architecture is aging, is still a valid alternative when it comes to on-paper specs. While this example is fairly industrially finished, Ars\u00e8ne Lippens has at least given it a pretty rotor to help top up a 48-hour power reserve.<\/p>\n

Ars\u00e8ne Lippens Scheletrato Opaco pricing and availability<\/p>\n

\"arsene<\/p>\n

The Ars\u00e8ne Lippens Scheletrato Opaco is a time-limited release, with the order books opening on the 23rd of February and closing on the 3rd of March, 2026. Find out more here<\/a>. Price: CHF 4,350<\/p>\n

Brand
\nArs\u00e8ne Lippens<\/p>\n

Model
\nScheletrato Opaco<\/p>\n

Reference Number
\n0764-BO
0764-GO<\/p>\n

Case Dimensions
\n39.5mm (D) x 13.5mm (T) x 45.5mm (LTL)<\/p>\n

Case Material
\nStainless steel<\/p>\n

Water Resistance
\n50 metres<\/p>\n

Crystal(s)
\nBox-domed sapphire, AR-coating<\/p>\n

Dial
\nOpen, grey or blue highlights<\/p>\n

Lug Width
\n20mm<\/p>\n

Strap<\/p>\n

Grey or blue sailcloth, curved spring bars, steel pin buckle
Beads of rice steel bracelet, butterfly clasp<\/p>\n

Movement
\nValjoux 7750, automatic<\/p>\n

Power Reserve
\n48 hours<\/p>\n

Functions<\/p>\n

Hours, minutes, small seconds, date sub-dial, chronograph<\/p>\n

Availability
\nLimited order period between 23\/02\/26 and 03\/03\/26<\/p>\n

Price
\nCHF 4,350<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Borna Bo\u0161njak The Valjoux-powered Scheletrato is back in the Ars\u00e8ne Lippens collection for a time-limited drop. Available in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":312649,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[61,60,71439,80],"class_list":{"0":"post-312648","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-technology","8":"tag-ie","9":"tag-ireland","10":"tag-metachronograph","11":"tag-technology"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/312648","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=312648"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/312648\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/312649"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=312648"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=312648"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=312648"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}