HYT unveiled its H20 collection earlier this year at the SIHH with two models — the H20 Black and the H20 Silver. This striking collection is a natural evolution of the brand’s H0 Collection, which was launched in 2017 and marked the start of a new direction in HYT’s design vision as the brand puts an increased focus on the fluid display, rather than the movement.
The H20 draws the eye into the liquid display thanks to a spectacular domed crystal which lets the light flood into the workings of the watch. This transparency offers the wearer a three-dimensional view of the round capillaries that support the liquid as it advances at the speed of time.
HYT ‘s CEO Grégory Dourde unveiled a brand-new H20 Brown Limited Edition during an exclusive presentation in the collectors’ lounge of Les Ambassadeurs’ Geneva boutique. “We constructed this model like a sculpture,” he explains. “If you take a painting, you can take a photo of it and see the complete work, but with a sculpture, you can’t do this. You can film it and move around it, but you can never truly capture it in its entirety. We wanted to create a piece that would allow its owners to travel inside the piece and enjoy all the different perspectives it offers.”
Designed by the brand’s creative director, François Nunez, the H20 Brown Limited Edition is housed in a 51mm stainless-steel case that has been rounded like a pebble. This soft and ergonomic shape continues the theme of fluidity right onto the wrist, making it extremely wearable in spite of its large diameter.
This soft and rounded design is further enhanced by a large domed sapphire crystal that covers the mechanism and represents two thirds of the surface area of the watch. “The crystal is also a great metaphor of how HYT is at the crossroads between the arts and the sciences,” explains Nunez. “This crystal cover could easily be found protecting an object in a museum as it could be used in a scientific laboratory.”
The fluid technology remains the same as previous HYT models with two liquids—one clear and one colored—that are pushed around the capillaries by two bellows. The meniscus between these two liquids gives the reading of the hours, while a retrograde jumping hand indicates the minutes. Once the red liquid reaches six o’clock, the liquid retracts and starts its journey again at the beginning of the gauge. This fascinating display is also illuminated at night thanks to Super-LumiNova under the capillaries.
Although the stunning three-dimensional movement by Audemars Piguet Renaud & Papi is not the intended focus of the timepiece, its exceptional construction and finishing do not go unnoticed and enhance the architectural design of the piece.
The timepiece comes with a bright, blood-red liquid, a dark brown PVD-coated case and a supple brown rubber strap, offering a color scheme that has a closer connection to the Earth rather than the sky.
Limited to eight pieces, the H20 is priced at CHF 95,000.
