Timepiece manufacturers focus more and more on alternative ways of powering their masterpieces. H1 by HYT is one of the wristwatches meant to make history.
So you thought you’ve seen it all in terms of time measuring instruments? Sure, people relied on hourglasses, obelisks and sundials for millennia, and invented the first mechanical timekeeping devices only in the 14th century, but the real revolution happens in our times. In 2010, Tag Heuer introduced the first ever oscillator without a hairspring (watch its presentation here) and it is now HYT’s turn to step the game up.
H1 by HYT is the first timekeeping device ever to merge liquid and mechanical engineering. The hours on this timepiece are displayed by a chamber that is filled with a luminescent green liquid. The chamber surrounds the main dial, which encompasses in its center a dedicated smaller dial for the minutes, as well as a seconds hand resembling a water turbine, on its left side. Below the minutes dial there are two bellows that compress and expand asynchronously, thus pushing and pulling the liquid from the “hours chamber.” To the right of the minutes dial there is an indicator that shows the power reserve.
The back of the watch is see-through, so the exquisite movement can be admired in all of its beauty. The Swiss made movement operates the two aforementioned bellows, and is able to preserve power for 65 hours, provided that it is not winded manually in all this time. The case measuring 48.8mm in diameter and 17.9mm in depth will be available in titanium, DLC black coated titanium or 18K red gold. The titanium blend will surely provide a lot of resistance to mechanical shocks, but given that the watch also includes that eye-catching liquid chamber, people should probably avoid such situations.
Considering the materials, the innovation factor and the finely detailed Swiss movement, the price of $45,000 should come as no surprise. Yes, the price is steep and only a few people will afford buying it, but this is pretty much how things go with upper luxury timepiece manufacturers.
If you liked this post, please check this water clock and the Bedol eco-friendly clock.
