I am obviously biased as I love the brand but I don't think this is a fair comment on AP to be frank.

There are so many other watch brands that also consistantly reinterprets its design language.

Panerai for instance has basically two cases, the Radiomir and the Luminor, with the later being... the former with a crown protection. Rolex has the Oyster case with variations in terms of bezel. The list goes on.

As for AP, I enjoy how the RO became a canvas for so many interpretations but also welcome the watches that bring something new (Starwheel, Code 11.59 RD#4 etc.)

Fantastic insights!

Then that's probably THE case where it does actually make sense to go for such a piece. I wouldn't be able to recommend any myself but I'm sure you'll find here great suggestions. Good luck with the hunt!

If I may comment, you will get bored quickly over open worked watches when going for the affordable options. It's "just" a gimmick and the beauty of open worked/skeleton watches comes from the manual engraving which... isn't affordable.

This might be the only segment where I wouldn't recommend looking for affordable options.