Home » Baselworld - World Watch and Jewellery Show » Baselworld 2013 Preview – HYT H2 Hydromechnical Watch
The very first watch from The Hydromechanical Horologists (HYT) was realized last January. HYT H1 achieved great success and built a huge buzz around the new brand. The new model from HYT is the H2 Watch which continues the brand’s immersion in the world of Haute Horlogerie and breaks new ground in terms of mechanical and visual interest versus merely adding a new complication.
The guiding principle behind this new concept is to further integrate fluidics into mechanical watchmaking. HYT worked with Audemars Piguet Renaud et Papi watchmakers, and the hole process was supervised by Giulio Papi himself. Shortly, the mechanism integrated in the HYT H2 has fewer complications than the HYT H1’s movement, but with an increased power reserve and more complex architecture, it is a much more of a technical challenge.
HYT Redesigned the Entire Architecture of the Hybrid Movement
As we have expected, the green liquid hour indicator tube that uses bellows to push liquid over an hour scale retained. The bellows are positioned at the 6 o’clock position in a “V” like the engines of popular luxury sports cars. This position optimizes the integration of the interface that connects the watch mechanisms with the fluid system.
On the opposite side, at the 12 o ’clock position, there is a dial-mounted balance spring on its black bridge. A “H-N-R” crown position indicator which recalls the gearshift lever of a racing car is situated at the 3 o’clock position, while at the 9 o’clock position, there is a temperature indicator, the original and exclusive to HYT.
A temperature indicator has been implemented into the mechanism to allow the wearer to see when the fluid has reached the optimum temperature range. In the center of the dial, a minute hand which is designed in stages to perfectly fit the structure of the fluidic system jumps after 30 minutes to avoid the two bellows.
HYT H2 Hydromechnical Watch Inside
The mechanical movement with the manual winding that has been incorporated in the HYT H2 oscillates at the frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour (3 Hz). It features titanium bridges with decorated microblasted Black PVD and titanium colored satin-finished accents.
Designed to Impress Collectors and Watch Lovers
The HYT H2 Watch is housed in a black DLC titanium case with the diameter of 48.8mm and the thickness of 17.9mm. The large-sized case is shielded with an anti-reflective sapphire crystal and it is constructed to resist water pressure up to 50 meters (about 165 feet). On the right side of the case, there is a screw-down dynamometric crown sheathed in a rubber.
HYT H2 Hydromechnical Watch Caseback
The fluidic display on the new HYT watch is intuitive, the architecture transparent and the completely visible mechanism accentuates the three-dimensional depth which is typical for the brand. The double barrel which is visible through the sapphire glass case back of the watch provides impressive 8 days (192 hour) of power reserve and the force required to orchestrate this mechanical achievement. I must say that the power reserve indicator which takes the form of an exposed spring is quite unique being displayed in a truly innovative fashion through the openworked barrels.
HYT H2 Hydromechnical Watch Caseback
The starting price for the HYT H1 was $45,000, and for the H2, we could probably expect to be about double that in price. Unlike the last year’s HYT watch, the H2 will be issued in a limited quantity of only 50 pieces.
The watch is teamed with a rubberized anthracite alligator strap, ending with a black DLC titanium pin buckle. The brand’s second watch will be officially presented at Baselword 2013.
