HYT’s 2017 offerings

It takes a special kind of maverick genius to take a horologist’s nightmare and turn it into every watch aficionado’s dream. The dream began in 2012, when the hydro mechanical horologists of HYT mixed mechanics and liquid within a wristwatch. Never since the water clocks of the pharaohs, have the laws of gravity been overcome to transpose this energy in a portable watch.

By uniting two worlds that are supposedly diametrically opposed, HYT has found a new way of timekeeping that marries high watchmaking and science, with cutting-edge design bringing them together.

The principle
Two flexible reservoirs with a capillary attached at each end. While one has a coloured liquid, the other, a transparent one. Keeping them apart is the repulsion force of the molecules in each fluid.

The hours are indicated by the coloured liquid released from a flexible reservoir compressed by a piston. These reservoirs, or bellows, are located at six o’clock and are made from a supple alloy. The first coloured liquid travels through the capillary pushing the transparent one back into its own reservoir and then returning to its original position at six o’clock in what is referred to as a retrograde manner.

The two reservoirs at 06:00 – while the first compresses, the second expands, and vice versa, resulting in the movement of the liquid in the capillary. As the hours go by, the coloured liquid advances. The meniscus, in the shape of a half moon, marks the separation point with the other fluid in the tube, indicating the time. At 18:00, the coloured liquid comes back to its original position, going backwards. Two bellows made of a highly resistant, flexible alloy, each driven by a piston work the reservoir. And this is where watchmaking comes in to activate the system.

Skull Pocket
Paying homage to the pocket watch, HYT has unveiled its first-ever pocket watch – the Skull Pocket that combines two iconic creations of HYT; for the first time, the light source module developed for its Metropolis model has been combined with a Skull.  

With a new case and exclusive finishes, the Skull Pocket is available in a limited release of 8 pieces. The timepiece has two LEDs positioned underneath the rider at 6 o’clock. The micro-generator, which works by converting mechanical power into electricity, has been integrated into the case, and bathes the Skull Pocket in a soft blue light, while giving the green liquid its fluorescent glow.

The light lasts for around five seconds, after which the mechanism needs to be reinitialised. No batteries or electronics are required as the process is completely mechanical.

The 59 MM case, specially created for the Skull Pocket, is made from titanium and black DLC titanium. In place of the lugs, HYT has developed an exclusive cover system – featuring an engraved pattern with leather inserts that can be customised – to protect the dial.

At night, the light emanates instantly, producing a soft blue glow that floods the case and causes the coloured liquid charged with fluorescent dye to react.

H4 Dragon
The H4 Dragon is a unique time piece unveiled by the marque this year; a new creation that explores a style launched by the H1 Dracula DLC and developed by the Skull. The founding principle of this new house collection, the H4, follows the path forged by HYT since 2013: fluid mechanics, in the true sense of the word.

The Dragon houses the exclusive HYT calibre – powered by 28,800 vibrations per hour, with a 65-hour power reserve – in a titanium case that has brushed, micro-blasted, and polished finishes. The dial is of blue aventurine with swaged grey gold indicator, embellished with 8 baguette-cut emerald (=0.22ct) and 8 baguette-cut sapphire (=0.27ct), with an engraved custom-made grey gold dragon that gives the timepiece its name.

Skull Axl Rose
The Skull Axl Rose is a custom model created by Axl Rose – the legendary Guns N’ Roses singer, and the recent touring frontman for AC/DC. The artist chose a Skull base, which under his direction, was given a Damascus steel-style treatment and an additional blue treatment.

For a complementary touch, Axl opted for the same colour for all the indexes applied around the Skull. Finally, he chose to affix two side plates to the piece (at 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock), decorated with the Clous de Paris pattern and also finished in blue PVD. The piece has a resolutely rock ‘n’ roll feel, with a bold strap featuring blue topstitching.

HYT pays tribute to the rock icon with the legendary Guns N’ Roses logo on the back of the case. Underneath this sits the singer’s signature on the metallised sapphire case back. The piece, which features a 51 MM DLC titanium case with micro-blasted finishes, is an extremely limited edition of just 25 pieces.

H1 RC44
This new watch from the brand is a limited edition of only 10 pieces. The H1 RC44, which has a diameter of 48.8 MM, houses a mechanical hand-wound, exclusive HYT calibre in a titanium case that has brushed, shot-peened, and satin-finished surfaces. With hand-chamfered bridges, the movement is adorned with côtes de Genève and rhodiumed bellows, and enjoys a power reserve of 65 hours. On the dial – paying homage to the RC44 for which the collection is named – is the golden small seconds wheel in a shape of a 4 for the helm of the RC44 at 09:30.

H3 Iceberg
The marque defines the H3 Iceberg as “the linear fluid revolution”; because in the timepiece, there is no midday in the conventional sense, nor are there any hands. In the H3, HYT is reinventing the wrist watch with its case measuring 62 x 41 MM, with its bespoke shaped movement a perfect fit for each contour.

HYT and its partners have succeeded in creating a timepiece with a highly complex architecture. One of the main challenges lay in machining the case and the sapphire crystal. When it came to the movement, one of the most delicate steps in creating the H3 involved recovering the energy provided in the retrograde movement, which then powered the semi-instantaneous rotation of the watch's dial.

Its construction was initially inspired by the desire to have a linear portrayal of time, which resulted in a design with the bellows at opposite ends. The movement engineering teams then worked around this constraint – which became the stylistic signature of the H3 – to create the complete calibre. In a charcoal grey PVD-coated titanium and white ceramic case, the H3 Iceberg is a unique piece.