HYT Watches impart a dynamic look on the wrist. They also inspire intrigue with their unusual performance. Unlike any other watch brand on the current market, the brand creates timepieces that are not the obvious, traditional kind. Not only do they look different compared to conventional watches, but they are wired differently too. HYT watches appeal to modern collectors, particularly those who like to add off the wall designs to their collection. The company was founded in 2012, making it a relatively young brand who first put itself on the map with its cutting edge technology which uses liquid to tell the time. Lucien Vuillamoz founded the company in Neuchatel, Switzerland and based his vision on a concept that harkened back to around 3400 years ago when the ancient Pharaohs recorded lost time by collecting and transporting water.
The patented fluidic model used in HYT watches has been intriguing and fascinating watch enthusiasts since it entered the market. Different coloured liquid differentiates time that has past, while its transparent liquid represents the foreseeable future. The point at which the two liquids meet on the dial is the now. Uniquely tuned and developed from a very simple timekeeping concept, it’s clear to see how HYT watches have come to be a point of fascination and mystery to both new and experienced watch enthusiasts.
Part of the intrigue and the desirability of a HYT watch centres around how these unconventional timepieces operate. Generally speaking, each HYT watch features a central hand that represents the minutes and a small dial that shows the passing seconds of the day. Tubes filled with liquid, which travel around the circumference of the dial, represent the hours, and each timepiece is powered by a mechanical movement that is located in the top part of a HYT watch. This movement powers the cam which in turn pushes the pistons to activate the bellows. Interestingly, the wearer can see the bellows, which are made from an electro deposited alloy through the dial and, once activated, the liquid can be seen as it is pumped from the bellow positioned at 6 o’clock around the outer rim of the dial. Once the liquid has made a full journey around the dial it meets the other bellow and resumes its rewind position to start once again.
This unique technology developed by HYT took a total of seven patants to achieve. The liquid chosen for these watches took a great level of commitment, research and know how. It must not only be the correct colour to stand out from the dial in all lightings but also resistant to water and resistant to weather changes and vibrations. Other admirable features of a HYT watch include a sapphire crystal front equipped with a dome at the 6 o’clock location. Power reserved indicators also feature in these innovative watches. HYT H1 watches feature broad 48mm diameter and a thickness of 17mm owing to their daring and confident persona. When the company produced its HYT H2 watches, it made some changes. The bellows are crafted into a V shape and the models feature a H N R crown position indicator, boasting an additional temperature indicator usually located at 3 o’clock. That said, the functionality and size of the watches from the brand’s H2 collection are very similar to the H1 models.
The technology behind a HYT watch was made possible by its sister brand, Prexiflex, who was chaired by Berdoaz. A collaboration with Vincent Perriard, who at the time was headed up by TechnoMarine, innovated the liquid making each special HYT watch possible. The hydro and mechanical driven watches developed by this leading watch manufacture are guided by the vision of the company as a whole, each engineer as passionate as the next. For this reason, HYT watches continue to intrigue and delight collectors. The brand endeavours to continue creating timepieces that operate in this unique way, reshaping history with each new release.
