WM Watch WM128 Review – A Skeleton HiBeat Automatic With Kung Fu Fighters

The WM Watch WM128 is the kind of skeleton watch that immediately asks to be examined closely, but its appeal is not limited to exposed mechanics. Part of WM’s Kung Fu series, it combines a stainless steel case, sapphire crystal and a high-beat automatic movement with an 80-hour power reserve, all in a watch priced just south of $100.

What makes it more interesting to me is that WM has also addressed one of the recurring problems with skeleton watches: legibility. The openworked dial is busy, but the contrast remains strong enough to tell the time easily, while a few unusual details give the WM128 a personality of its own.

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Design & Case

The WM128 is not a restrained watch. At 42.8mm across, 13.4mm thick and with an effective lug-to-lug length of 53mm, it has substantial proportions, and the case design reinforces that sense of presence. The stainless steel construction is built around multiple angular planes, with dark sandblasted sections sitting between brighter brushed steel surfaces.

Those alternating finishes give the case a layered, almost architectural quality. The transitions are sharply defined, and the result is more industrial and mechanical than conventionally decorative. It suits the exposed movement and the broader Kung Fu theme without relying on the dial alone to provide visual interest.

The exhibition caseback is secured by four individual screws rather than a conventional threaded design. A mineral crystal display window reveals the movement beneath, while the watch carries 50 metres of water resistance. Given the push-pull crown, I would treat this as splash-proof rather than something intended for swimming.

If the proportions and surface finishing stand out to you here, there are alternatives built around a similar philosophy, such as the Starking AM0509.

Movement & Crown

Inside the WM128 is the Hangzhou 7590, a self-winding automatic movement with 27 jewels, an 80-hour power reserve and a 4Hz operating frequency. That translates to 28,800 vibrations per hour, or eight beats per second, and gives the central seconds hand the smooth sweep expected from a high-beat movement.

The movement also hacks. Pulling the crown out to set the time stops the seconds hand, allowing more precise synchronization. At this price point, the combination of high-beat operation and a long stated power reserve is one of the more notable mechanical aspects of the watch.

The crown itself is hard to miss. Positioned on the right-hand side of the case, it is a large 7.2mm gold-coloured push-pull unit. A yin-yang symbol appears on the crown tip, tying another small visual detail back into the Chinese martial arts theme that runs through the WM128.

Bezel

The WM128 uses a substantial fixed bezel that continues the case’s deliberately engineered aesthetic. Viewed from above, six exposed screw-head-style details are distributed around its perimeter, giving the watch another layer of mechanical visual language before the eye even reaches the skeletonised dial.

Its scale works with the angular case construction rather than trying to disappear into it, helping frame the openworked centre and giving the front of the watch a strong boundary.

That approach feels consistent with everything else happening here. With exposed bridges, gears and registers already competing for attention, the substantial bezel provides a clearly defined outer structure. It is bold rather than subtle, fitting the WM128’s industrial and technical appearance rather than attempting to soften its mechanical character.

Strap

The WM128 is fitted with a black rubber strap measuring 24mm across at the integration point before tapering quite dramatically to 18mm at the clasp. The strap itself is fairly rudimentary, and it is not the part of the watch that stands out most strongly in either design or execution.

The hardware is better resolved. The buckle is a proper milled stainless steel unit and is signed with W and Watch branding, giving it a more substantial feel than the rubber strap alone might suggest. It does not come across as a cheap afterthought, even if the strap itself remains relatively basic.

In the context of the whole watch, the setup works. The broad 24mm starting width suits the size and visual weight of the case, while the taper keeps the strap from feeling equally heavy all the way around the wrist. It is a simple solution that does not distract from the much more elaborate case and dial.

Crystal & Dial

A flat sapphire crystal sits over the dial, providing a clear view of the exposed mechanical architecture beneath. The important point, though, is that the WM128 remains surprisingly easy to read. Applied baton indices use chrome surrounds with white luminous blocks through their centres, allowing them to stand out against the darker skeletonised background.

The hour and minute hands are skeletonised as well, with openworked centres and luminous tips. At 3 o’clock sits a 24-hour register, while the 9 o’clock register duplicates the running seconds display. Look closely and two miniature Kung Fu figures appear within that mechanism, one highlighted in yellow. It is not a necessary complication, but visually it gives the dial a distinctive focal point.

Bright green lume appears on the hour indices and hour and minute hands, and it charges easily in natural or artificial light. The central yellow seconds hand is not luminous, but the 9 o’clock running-seconds indicator is, allowing the movement of the seconds to remain visible after dark. That is a clever use of what initially looks like a redundant display.

Summary

The WM Watch WM128 succeeds because it understands the main weakness of many skeleton watches. Exposing the movement is easy; preserving practical legibility while doing so is harder. Here, the applied markers, luminous hands and strong contrast keep the watch readable without covering up the mechanical architecture that gives it its character.

There are still compromises. The rubber strap is fairly basic, the 50-metre water resistance and push-pull crown keep the watch firmly in splash-proof territory, and the duplicated running-seconds display is more theatrical than necessary. But that secondary register earns some justification once the lights go out, because its luminous indication keeps the seconds visible when the central hand disappears.

Add the high-beat Hangzhou 7590, 80-hour power reserve and distinctive Kung Fu detailing, and the WM128 becomes a more thoughtful piece than its dramatic appearance first suggests. For me, legibility remains its strongest achievement.

WM Watch WM128 Specifications