HYT: Liquid and Watches

Having recently been asked to join Watchreport.com, I have been thinking long and hard as to what to write my first piece about.  Should it be a new watch review? Or maybe an event review? Or how about how UK Watch Companies are taking on the world by storm again? But no I decided on one of my favorite watche brands, one of the most forward thinking and innovative watch companies to emerge in the last 10 years HYT and I am a huge fan.

Normally you will do anything not to get liquid into your watch so not to damage the intricate movement but this company puts liquid into them on purpose and with truly stunning effects.  HYT have developed an innovative way to place a colored and clear liquid into a clear ring to show the time.

The original HYT 1 with florescent green liquid to show the hours while minutes are displayed in a more conventional way with a small sub dial at the 12’oclock position and a small second’s dial just to the left with power reserve just to the right to keep a symmetrical feel.

Since the release of the debut HYT 1 they have now added blue and red liquid to the hour markers color chosen with an array of different case materials.

At the 6 ‘o’clock position are two small bellows that slowly move up and down to push the  liquid round and look stunning and a little industrial .

If HYT changed the thinking of horology with their first release then the HYT 2 well and truly smashed it to pieces.  Complete with case materials from pvd to titanium and white gold their second release is stunning. The liquid hour’s are more prominent and gone is the small dial for minutes which were replaced with a conventional minute hand instead, well if you can class anything from HYT as conventional.

The dial on the HYT 2 is more skeletonized with a new movement from APRP’s Giulio Papi.  The signature bellows have been angled to a V shape which in my option makes them look like valves in an engine block.

I was lucky enough this year at Basel world to get my hands on them, and be demonstrated the bellows in action.

I admire watch companies like HYT who don’t conform to the rules and are doing things their way and to hell with conformity.

I would like to know your views on HYT.   Are they a maverick in the horology world or just a novelty?

Article by John Galt for WatchReport.com