HYT H5 fluid
Water erosion traces the ongoing impact of Nature on Earth’s substance; fluid time by HYT tracks an unrelenting path through the past, present and future.
The new H5 turns to the color blue to make its mark on an essentially contemporary concept of time. Using a design language focused on three-dimensionality and transparency, this timepiece reveals time’s passage in the form of a vivid azure liquid. Running steadily through a fine capillary, the fluid frames a multi-layered horological masterpiece where movement is the constant.
The harmony of diversity
Mechanical and fluidic innovation join forces in a propriety calibre, the 501. Two years of development went into a mechanism where opposites attract and harmoniously interact. Layer by layer, element by element, the essence and relevance of time are revealed in a beautiful visual theatre. After all, HYT is an established master at enabling art and science to share the same stage.
In the unique movement, a hand-winding unit sets a consistent pace. This releases precisely the right amount of energy for two contrasting immiscible liquids to represent the recent past, the present and the near future. Visible through the see-through sapphire case back, an intricately shaped cam offers thirteen different possibilities to adjust and index the hour and minute indications, ensuring they operate as one. An over-sized, curved lever connects the movement’s collaborating elements. This orchestrates a complex chain reaction, whereby the caliber pushes against a regulating bellow four times thinner than a human hair to launch time’s next twelve-hour journey.
The new H5 variation by HYT combines an array of shades of grey – from anthracite on the hour ring and flange, to a gun-metal bridge – with dynamic colored accents. This punctuates the layered look and highlights the core message that each tiny element of the whole is vital to seamless dynamic performance. A sense of vibrancy is heightened by white Super-LumiNova under the blue liquid that shows elapsed time, and the neoralite hour ring. A bright red arc and a black hand, matching that of the second counter, distinguish the power reserve. Just as erosion is Nature’s storyteller, fluidity is the storyteller of time itself.
The HYT H5 Blue Fluid is the latest creation from the Neuchâtel-based Maison. The model features the brand’s fluidic hours display, minutes, seconds and power reserve. Housed in a 48.8mm stainless steel case, this limited-edition of 25 pieces promises exclusivity and an extraordinary quotient of style.
When HYT emerged onto the watchmaking scene in 2012, it set aside convention. No longer were hours expressed using a conventional hand. Instead, liquids imparted meaning in a simple to interpret form.
A glass capillary containing two liquids, one coloured and one clear, sits adjacent an hour track. The meniscus between the two liquids denotes the hour. A hand-wound mechanical movement drives two bellows pumps, propelling the liquids around the capillary. Once the coloured liquid reaches 6am or 6pm, the coloured liquid returns to its point of origin (retrograde hours) and the journey starts anew.
The development of the inaugural HYT models presented a myriad of challenges. For example, the inner surface of the glass had to be coated to prevent adhesion, allowing the liquids to move smoothly. The liquids within the capillary may have been subject to heat expansion or conversely, contraction, hence some form of temperature compensation system was needed. Perhaps the biggest challenge was the coloured liquid. It had to remain homogenous at all times.
The liquid must not degrade when subject to UV light and the colour of the liquid cannot change with the onset of years. Both the coloured and clear liquids must remain discrete and should not foam or form bubbles. In order to create one new colour, HYT has to invest a colossal sum of money in its development. It is for this reason that the brand does not offer a myriad of different shades. The inventory of colours currently includes black, blue, green and red. HYT also introduces variety by conceiving different watch styles.
For 2020, the brand has unveiled the HYT H5 Blue Fluid which presents time in a distinctive, three-dimensional form. It looks spectacular and upholds the Maison’s reputation for creating thought-provoking designs.
The brand’s press release
Water erosion traces the ongoing impact of Nature on Earth’s substance; fluid time by HYT tracks an unrelenting path through the past, present and future. The new H5 turns to the colour blue to make its mark on an essentially contemporary concept of time. Using a design language focused on three-dimensionality and transparency, this timepiece reveals time’s passage in the form of a vivid azure liquid. Running steadily through a fine capillary, the fluid frames a multi-layered horological masterpiece where movement is the constant.
The harmony of diversity
Mechanical and fluidic innovation join forces in a propriety calibre, the 501. Two years of development went into a mechanism where opposites attract and harmoniously interact. Layer by layer, element by element, the essence and relevance of time is revealed in a beautiful visual theatre. After all, HYT is an established master at enabling art and science to share the same stage.
In the unique movement, a hand-winding unit sets a consistent pace. This releases precisely the right amount of energy for two contrasting immiscible liquids to represent the recent past, the present and the near future. Visible through the see-through sapphire case back, an intricately shaped cam offers thirteen different possibilities to adjust and index the hour and minute indications, ensuring they operate as one. An over-sized, curved lever connects the movement’s collaborating elements. This orchestrates a complex chain reaction, whereby the calibre pushes against a regulating bellow four times thinner than a human hair to launch time’s next twelve-hour journey.
Dynamism in detail
The new H5 variation by HYT combines an array of shades of grey – from anthracite on the hour ring and flange, to a gun-metal bridge – with dynamic coloured accents. This punctuates the layered look and highlights the core message that each tiny element of the whole is vital to seamless dynamic performance. A sense of vibrancy is heightened by white Super-LumiNova under the blue liquid that shows elapsed time, and the neoralite hour ring. A bright red arc and a black hand, matching that of the second counter, distinguish the power reserve. Just as erosion is Nature’s storyteller, fluidity is the storyteller of time itself.
