Category: HYT Watches
HYT HASTROID RAINBOW
For over a year now, HYT Hastroid Rainbow has been back in action with its creativity and boldness revived. The return of the brand was marked by the Hastroid, a watch with familiar mechanics and, of course, the signature – and industry unique – fluidic indication of the time. Besides the obvious sci-fi inspiration behind the design of the most recent creations of HYT, the use of bright colours is another trait of the brand’s DNA. But today, it goes a few steps further in colouring time and features a rainbow radiating its colours on the Hastroid… But it’s not about setting coloured stones on the case or dial.
The new HYT Hastroid Rainbow is a familiar watch when it comes to its specifications. Overall, it comes with all the features of the existing Green Nebula, Supernova Blue or Cosmic Hunter models. So let’s rewind briefly and speak about the watch itself. The Hastroid was a turning point in the brand’s history, marking a new start with its redefined design. The case, still on the large side, was entirely novel and designed like a spaceship. Big, bright and bold, I said in my first article. Angular, layered, and relatively aerial with an openworked and architectural construction, it mixes materials. Measuring 48 mm in diameter and over 17mm in thickness, it has a length of 52mm. And it is surprisingly more comfortable than expected. The case’s multi-layer “sandwich-like” construction also integrates cut-out areas on the sides with grilles. The dial and display have also been redefined with more depth and a complex multi-part structure. Composed of 43 components, the dial has an openworked, textured structure revealing most of the mechanical elements, and both the mechanical section (on top) and the fluidic section (the bellows on the lower part and the capillary tube around the dial) are entirely visible. A black-coated plate frames the movement with a grid pattern, on which bold Arabic numerals in 3D are applied. The display consists of a central minute hand, a small seconds and a power reserve. And, of course, the main attraction, the retrograde fluidic indication of the hours. Still powered by two bellows, the left-side bellow/piston module pushes the coloured fluid into the capillary tube, and as time passes, it pushes the transparent fluid into the right-side bellow. Powering our HYT Hastroid Green Nebula is the calibre HYT 501-CM, using the same base as the H5, refined for the HYT Hastroid. Made of two separate modules connected by a lever, the upper side is dedicated to timekeeping and is a hand-wound movement running at 4Hz with a power reserve of 72 hours. It is also the driving force for the fluidic indication, giving its power and delivering a constant displacement to act on the motion of the fluids, thanks to an oversized lever and a curved feeler-spindle. This sensor transforms the circular motion of the movement’s wheels into a linear motion that pushes the bellow. Now, what about this new HYT Hastroid Rainbow? Well, it’s all about the use of multiple colours on the dial. The case is made from multi-layer carbon fibre with a profile in matte black DLC-coated titanium. It is worn on a bright, bold purple rubber strap with black inlay. The rainbow effect is applied to the dial’s grille using tinted Zapon lacquer – a premium single-component lacquer mainly used to provide long-term protection for dials which have undergone a galvanic treatment. Each dial is individually executed by Yan Patriarca, a lacquering expert. Each colour is sprayed by hand, in several layers, and with an imperceptible gradient effect. In addition, the fluid contained in the capillary tube is black, and when it moves around the coloured dial, it gives the impression that it is tinted in the shade assigned to each time slot. As unique as a rainbow, the new HYT Hastroid Rainbow is an exclusive creation. To perfect the rainbow colouring on its dial, HYT called upon one of the most exacting of modern artisanal techniques, known as Techno Art. A new challenge combining exceptional skills and vision for the future of Haute Horlogerie. HYT Hastroid Rainbow have made the focal point of this piece the outer edge of the dial and the heart of the exclusive fluid module with its retrograde hours’ display. The colouring is the focus and this serves two purposes: firstly, it creates a stunning decorative effect; secondly, it takes on a technical dimension by enhancing the legibility of the display.
HYT Soonow
Launched globally on March 12, 2020 in a limited edition of just five pieces, the HYT SOONOW DROP THREE boasts an audacious and lively design.
Following in the footsteps of a unique, propriety fluidic mechanism and the development of an intricate, skull-shaped capillary, it’s now time for an unexpected color scheme to turn heads. The anodized titanium dial of the hyt SOONOW DROP THREE presents a turquoise canvas for a skull in burgundy and orange. This incorporates 313 pins in 18-carat rose gold and almost 1,000 high-precision perforations. Smiling out of the skull are rose gold teeth that engage rather than spook.
One eye socket acts as a colorful power reserve display. The other focuses on the passing of the seconds, featuring “small print” reminding of the imminence of SOON turning into NOW. Meticulous micro-painting subtly frames all of the skull’s facial features, while Orange Super-LumiNova here and underneath the capillary add an extra vibrant signature.
The SOONOW timepiece by HYT reflects the times we live in through a dynamic and colorful union of art and science. These times suspend the present in a constant flow that owes its momentum to the power of the past and the promise of the future. Moving on is the norm of contemporary life. In the watch, this ongoing process is in the capable hands of the fluidic module that fuels an exclusive mechanical movement in seamless collaboration.
Recently elapsed time is represented by transparent liquid to convey clarity. The pending future adopts a sleek, enigmatic black. An architectural approach houses domed shaping, smooth lines and multi-layering. Written-out numbers appear to float above the skull’s outline, endorsed by perforated renditions encircling the case.
With Soonow and its ‘Drop’ collection, HYT reminds us of the transience of time. A rainbow-skull watch, the latest limited edition released by the brand is meant to convey the brand’s unique perspective on time, in particular in relation to recent events and the global lockdown. Exuberant or audacious? You won’t remain neutral about its unique design and its unique way to portray time… but life and time are never black and white. Meet the HYT Soonow Instant Rainbow.
At HYT, this ephemeral nature of life and the unstoppable flow of time are also embodied by the unique way its watches tell the time. The temporal tension between the past, the present and the future is portrayed by two immiscible fluids in a capillary to indicate the hours. One liquid represents the past, the other represents the future and the junction of these two indicates the present moment, the ‘now’ and its infinite vanishing.
When the meniscus separating the liquids gets to 6 pm, it flows back to its original position. In the instance of the HYT Soonow Instant Rainbow, a transparent and blue liquid run on top of a yellow SLN track.
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.
HYT FLOW Blue fluid
It’s good to know where light comes from; it’s better to know where it leads. In the boldly dynamic HYT FLOW Blue fluid timepieces, HYT takes the craftsmanship of mechanical watchmaking into a new age of enlightenment. Mechanics replace electronics as the unexpected catalyst of illumination, with a proprietary new complication generating light on demand. The resultant rays exercise their technically-sourced brilliance to reflect the energized momentum of current times.
HYT’s FLOW watches mirror the brand’s relentless quest to bring innovation that resonates with its contemporary context. Literally speaking, light brightens what already exists; figuratively it brings deeper understanding. The latter describes these timepieces’ purpose in the watchmaking arena. They are about the possibilities that emerge when performance enters new territories. Triggered by a pusher, a specially developed micro-generator stores and dispels the energy to activate 8 or 13 meticulously positioned LEDs, according to the version. These then visibly spread light evenly across the dial, mimicking a natural wave. Element by element, the illumination reveals the various “stories” that make up the piece’s time-telling capacity, never allowing us to lose sight of time’s unstoppable flow.
Two variations on the FLOW theme, both limited editions, play very different games with the emitted light. On one, a dome of 73 baguette-cut 1.7-carat diamonds dances spectacularly to rhythms derived from the 13 LEDs below it. Just as time’s flow is constant, this unique horological light show is a theatre for continual, energized change uniting jewelry and light thanks to the dynamic reflection and refraction. Innovation meets beauty and quite literally dances the night away.
Another execution addresses the concept of infinity through a precisely tapered vortex shape. Here the imagination is invited to visualize a revolving, apparently never-ending flow down towards the bellows, as a side-aperture welcomes the light emitted by 8 LEDs. The limitlessness of infinity fits neatly into the focus on time’s inevitable transience.
In the HYT FLOW Blue fluid, opposites do far more than attract – they form a rich source of design energy. An apparently contradictory combination of liquid and electric light set the scene; the bold asymmetrical shape of the 51 mm case and vibrant color choices pick up the thread. A visual wave sweeps around its side, reminding that stopping time’s momentum is never an option. This well-considered curve tempts the eye to explore new perspectives on time, a vital element of modern life.
A ring of Super-LumiNova documents the antithesis of night and day. Polished accents on the circular-brushed case underline specific elements such as bezel angles. This is an appropriate overture to the three-dimensional character of the opaline-finished grey dials, where “metallic” and “velvety” sit together comfortably in the descriptive dictionary. Sophisticated electro-erosion adds a further signature to the theme of tension with its use of electric current to physically cut out strips of metal to obtain the wave illusion. The high-energy appearance of the dials’ backgrounds contrasts with the calmer, more minimalistic time indication. Concave and convex surfaces tease each other, as the eye peeps behind the waves to catch a glimpse of the intriguing mechanical mechanism below. It’s flow time. 24/7.