Former CEO of Concord and TechnoMarine, Vincent Perriard, has taken his futuristic views on the watch-making industry to an unprecedented level with the foundation of HYT Watches; a new high-end brand that aims to deconstruct the game and modify the rules of the Suisse horlogerie institution, while serving as the meeting point for fluid mechanics and fine watch engineering.
Like fluid alchemists, the “Hydro Mechanical Horologists” (the highly-skilled team assembled by Perriard) have succeeded in the challenging mission of telling time with water with the creation of the H1 model: A unique, powerful and testosterone-full timepiece that relies on fluid to indicate time. The complex mechanism consists of two bellows made of alloy that blast air driven by pistons residing at the center of the manually-wound movement propelling the fluorescent and clear fluids around the bezel, so that the meniscus between them always “floats” at a certain point representing the hour of the day. As one of the two reservoirs located at 6H compresses, the other expands (and vice versa), pushing the fluids contained in the tubes until the meniscus returns to its initial position at 6pm in a retrograde movement.
HYT ‘s H1 48.8mm dominant and bulky titanium case is beautifully constructed with a 5mm sapphire crystal carved from a single block, to enhance the three-dimensional architectural concept of the watch. The small seconds counter overlaps the minute regulator in the upper part of the innovative dial design, playing with the juxtaposition of elements. The timepiece also counts with an impressive 65-hour power reserve.
Nonetheless, despite its massive visual size, this HYT fits comfortably –and lightly- around most wrists due to the convenient shape of the lugs.
The H1 model is available in four different combinations: The H1 Titanium case, the H1 Black DLC coated titanium version, the H1 Black DLC /18K Pink Gold case and the H1 18 K Pink Gold versions; with a starting price around US$45,000 for the titanium model.
The H1 is an extremely daring, yet striking design that slips a little bit into madness to give place to the wonderful and groundbreaking. Perriard has the perfect man-toy to render any engineering and timepiece enthusiast speechless, while having the same effect on a regular individual.
To find further information, retailers and specifications on HYT Watches please visit www.hytwatches.com
