HYT timepieces – liquid technology
There can be no doubt about the uniqueness of HYT timepieces, since HYT was the first Swiss watch brand to succeed in implementing a brand-new technology that shows the hours using a liquid. The technology used by the company to accomplish this task in its timepieces is more akin to the nano-technology used in the medical sector than the miniaturization usually found in Swiss mechanical timepieces. The liquid mechanics involve two different liquids in the same capillary tube, a colored one and a colorless one. The meniscus between these two immiscible liquids indicates the hour.
The bellows that push and pull the liquid around the capillary have to be extremely precise and are adjusted to the nearest micron, with one even housing smaller bellows inside to compensate for differences in temperature that could affect the accuracy of the readout.
The liquid is available in different colors, each of which has been developed internally at the company (because of the different dyes used and the way it interacts with the capillary, it can take up to a year to develop just one new color). The current selection includes green, black, red and blue. Cases come in stainless steel, titanium, gold and black PVD.
The HYT range
It’s fair to say that the design of the collection has evolved considerably over a short period. The H0 marks a rupture from existing HYT designs and evokes the origins of the concept. The H0 is available in stainless steel, black DLC stainless steel or satin-finished 2N yellow gold.
The H1 was the first design in the HYT range, with the hours indicated by the meniscus and the minutes by a conventional dial. The H1.0 evolved the design further, introducing a power reserve indicator on the wheel that indicates the flow of the seconds. It is available in titanium, rose gold and black DLC, including color-block models in red, yellow and blue. The H2 was developed in cooperation with Audemars Piguet Renaud & Papi, presented a new architecture with the bellows in a V formation, a sprung balance at 12 o’clock and a jumping minutes hand. It is available in titanium, rose gold, black DLC and bronze. The H20 combined the movement of the H2 with the philosophy of the H0, showing off the traditional workings together with a modern take on traditional materials and are available in brushed stainless steel, brushed 2N yellow gold, stainless steel and brown PVD stainless steel.
Presented in 2015 as a limited edition of 15 timepieces, the HYT H3 introduced a rectangular case in charcoal grey PVD titanium or black PVD titanium and a horizontal retrograde indicator for the hours.
The H4 timepieces are skeletonized timepieces providing immersive views of the heart. They come with avant-garde designs and modern materials like titanium and 3DTP carbon. All this technology naturally comes at a price. But once collectors discover the precious art that goes into them, they also discover that they need to add a HYT model to their wishlist to enrich their collection. For collectors who want more than just to click a mouse to add a standard HYT model to their wishlist, the brand also offers a bespoke service that allows them to personalize their own HYT watch. Naturally, one does not ask the price in such instances.
