HYT continues to expand the horizons of what’s possible with its unique micro-fluidic time displays, introducing this year at SIHH a new model in its H0 collection that combines the technical innovation of its proprietary colored-liquid-filled tubes with the aesthetic boldness of a kaleidoscopic marquetry dial.
Playfully dubbed the H0 Time is Precious, the watch stands apart from its brethren in HYT’s “hydromechanical horology” lineup with its immediately eye-catching dial, made of monocrystalline silicon that has been meticulously laser-cut to achieve an avant-garde marquetry effect that HYT compares to “three-dimensional cubism.” Each dial is comprised of 63 mirrored facets, each lightly tilted at an angle, in a shattered-glass design that creates different lighting effects with the movement of the wearer’s wrist. As per HYT tradition, the hours are displayed by the interplay of two immiscible fluids — one red, one transparent — inside a borosilicate glass capillary tube that corresponds with an outer scale with gray numerals, while the minutes are on a single-handed subdial at 12 o’clock, here made of sapphire with gray numerals and a hand coated with white Super-LumiNova. Four differently sized apertures on the dial reveal the power reserve display (at 9 o’clock), the running seconds (between 3 and 4 o’clock), and the two multi-layered bellows (above 6 o’clock) that pump the liquid through the capillary tubes in tune with the movement’s oscillations.
The stainless steel case of the HYT H0 Time Is Precious measures a voluminous 48.8 mm in diameter and 18.7 mm thick, with a black DLC-coated titanium crown and a domed sapphire crystal on which the gray hour numerals have been engraved. Also engraved, on the a satin-finished metal ring on the side of the case, is the phrase “Time is Precious.” Inside the watch, behind a clear sapphire caseback, is a proprietary hand-wound caliber with a 28,800-vph frequency and a 65-hour power reserve, with beveled and côtes-de-Genève-decorated bridges. Completing the ensemble is a transparent rubber strap with a titanium folding buckle.
The HYT H0 Time Is Precious (Ref. H02018) is limited to 50 pieces and expected to be priced around 50,000 Swiss francs. To learn more about the HYT’s H0 series, read my review of the Gold Blue Fluid model that debuted last year.
