The blue model
Among the panoply of HYT models, the H2 Tradition is my favourite but the three new H1 Colorblock models show just how much variety the brand manages to pack into its fiendishly complicated watches. Shifting the focus of colour from the fluid that tells the time to new, solid and colourful dials, paired with matching textile straps, the brand has created three limited-edition models that are all about fun. Who cares if you can’t wear them every day? Nobody is likely to be buying a watch like this to wear every day anyway. Furthermore, as a nod to its third year of sales activity, these models are priced at the same level as the first HYT watches and are thus some 10,000 Swiss francs cheaper than the current entry-models. In keeping with the colour block theme, I dressed from head to toe in blue (suit, shirt, tie, belt, socks and shoes) to try the blue, leaving Michèle and Camille to experiment with the red and yellow models… - Paul O’Neil
The red
It’s not the first time that HYT has seen red. In the H1 collection, the Red2, the Dracula DLC and the Quai du Mont-Blanc already used the colour in the fluid, providing a stark contrast with the general grey tones of the three watches. But to celebrate its third birthday, HYT has seen red – completely – with the new H1 Colorblock: sundial, flange, power reserve indicator, seconds disc, strap… everything is red. Except the opaque black fluid, which matches the gun-metal PVD coating of the titanium case. On the wrist, the imposing 48.8mm diameter of the watch is imposing but elegant. It attracts surprised but admiring glances and, unlike the blue model that Paul tried, I think it works better when worn with clothes that don’t have any touches of red. A passionate and exclusive red. – Michèle Brunner
The yellow
As a fan of understated watches it made a change for me to get out of my comfort zone and try the new HYT H1 Colorblock for a few days. Its dimensions, at 48.8mm diameter and 17.9mm thick, bring out the full vibrancy of the yellow, the symbolic colour of HYT seen in its logo. Furthermore, the H1 Colorblock incorporates the company’s latest developments, such as the use of black fluid and luminescent SuperLuminova underneath the capillary, which means that the time can be read in the dark. - Camille Gendre
