HYT: H1

With the advent of the Basel exhibition and the first photo of H2, HYT H1 Colorblock YELLOW 148-TT-80-NF-FY , I want to return to H1 and win the 2012 Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix Innovation Award. Many articles have become the subject of media coverage, inspired by the talent of the communicator Vincent Perriard, not only that! Because if H1 deserves constant attention, it must first be attributed to its bold technology and the least original time.

Imagine the first funnel: water is used to indicate the time elapsed from the cone. After 3500 years, Vincent Perriard reinterpreted the concept by using liquid to show this slow but constant flow of time. Just as the Egyptians had to fill the bowl regularly to continue the measurement, H1 indicates that this filling is almost due to the retrograde movement of the liquid. HYT, the brand name, stands for "Hydro Mechanical Horologists". Clepsydres' first inventor was actually “Hydro Horologists”... so here was a link between time measurement and the origins of contemporary watchmaking through an innovative and surprising watch.

The display of H1 is very simple. Imagine a watch that runs a curved scale counterclockwise from 6 to 6: You have the concept of H1, except that there is no main needle. The portion filled with the colored liquid simulates the distance traveled by the virtual needle. Of course, this single needle that shows inspiration is not a powerful precision. Like clepsydres finally! This is why H1 has a sub-dial near its top, just below the curved circle, which represents the precision required in today's world, namely minutes. However, we can have no such complementary display. Fluid stable motion, wholesale replica watches

H1 is also provided with a walking indicator, a second hand, on the left and right power reserve indicators of the minute sub-dial. It does not have a main dial for displaying all the information. The H1 is fascinating because the movement of the bellows becomes an actor and activates the visible side of the watch.

We touch the power of H1, which makes it fun, fascinating, and consistent. The originality of the display leads to a unique motion architecture. Liquid is not the only major element of H1: the force that moves it is one of its important and obvious components due to the compression and release motion of the two tanks located in the lower part of the watch.

In fact, H1 is the intersection between watchmaking and fluid mechanics. We can almost say that it explains the concept of mechanical fluid! At this point, it is an extension of Vincent Perriard's first thought, around Concord's colorful liquid interview animation. But this time, the principle developed further because he became a major player as an auxiliary function. MB&F HM5 HOROLOGICAL MACHINE N.5 55.ZL.B

Unfortunately, the liquid does not illuminate. The road to reflection in the future?

We believe that the main difficulties inherent in such watches are not strictly speaking in the movement that produces the energy required for display operation, but rather in the physical characteristics of the display elements.

This requires one fluid instead of two liquids... but not too much: each liquid must remain on its side! One is fluorescein. The other is transparent. The molecules that make them work because of their repulsive forces to avoid the risk of mixing.

It also requires capillary glass with extreme finesse for optimal liquid flow: if the liquid does not slide perfectly, they may mix and interfere with the display.

The two bellows acting on the tank also require special alloys to operate reliably and robustly.

In addition to the liquid component, the most difficult part is definitely the manufacture of capillary glass. HYT employs two high-tech subcontractors that can process workpieces of this shape, with such fineness and hollowness in the center, and several layers of coating on the wall. The interior promotes fluid flow by reducing friction. Blancpain L-EVOLUTION-R FLYBACK 8886F-1503-52B

There is no rest in the exercise. He has to live up to this technical ambition. Turning the watch over, we found a hand-wound movement that we are familiar with. If you remember the movement of the Harry Winston Z6, you will find similar aesthetics, especially in the form of bridges. The Jean-François Mojon and Chronode team collaborated with HYT to develop this exclusive movement. The main goal is the regularity of the movement, so that the bellows on the left side is compressed in a completely constant manner and the bellows on the right side can be relaxed. Will not disturb the operation of the watch.

Although, on the visible side of the watch, most of the surface of the movement is dedicated to the bellows of the tank, it presents a very beautiful building, especially the beautiful hollow balance and embossed bridges are spectacular. Its surface is very clean and the whole is well observed, because the emergence of the technical atmosphere is in harmony with the concept of H1. It has a frequency of 4hz and a power reserve of 65 hours, which is a good performance considering the complexity of the display.

By placing the watch on my wrist, I was immediately transported to an unusual world: the H1 feels like a walking lab, a hell machine driven by two bellows! The colored liquid is clearly visible and there is no need to worry about it all the time. I am talking about the whole time, because soon, as I said before, I learned not to break up. In the extreme case, I will find that such a sub-dial is more suitable for the "jumping liquid" system, which can move for one hour at a time. I imagine the technical limitations of this system: the slow and steady process seems to be more appropriate. urwerk watches for sale

Like the movement, the visible part of H1 is surprising by its volumetric effect, different levels, and the shape of the bellows. It is difficult to talk about "decorative finishes" using the standards of traditional watchmaking. But all of this is aesthetically successful, and each element fits into other elements. The H1 is an imposing watch (48.8mm in diameter), especially thick (17.9mm). Fortunately, the horn is relatively short and imposes a bracelet that is combined with the wrist. The size does not vibrate because the display forces it.

Obviously, the watch has a strong presence, but beyond its size, it is obvious that the bellows and colored liquid pass through. The case has four versions: titanium, titanium and black coating, pink gold and pink gold mixed - black coating. My favorite is titanium with a black coating... it was not custom made. I prefer titanium because of weight and caution. Pink gold seems a bit too much considering the size.

The black coating enhances the colored liquid and improves the time reading. The fact that the liquid flows very slowly is of course logical, but a bit frustrating. Fortunately, every 12 hours, at 6 o'clock, the liquid begins to return large to the starting square and is executed in the opposite way within a few seconds.

There is no doubt that Perriard and the HYT team have reached a blow: H1's concept of hitting the water clock, this ancestral measurement time, including its transformation in modern times without modern high-tech technology. The potential associated with the use of liquids is enormous, and I dare to imagine Vincent Periyad's ideas! My only vigilance is still the long-term behavior of liquids. Due to temperature differences, will they still have the same behavior after multiple round trips? The risk of mixing or fragmentation is one of the obstacles encountered in the development of H1. Has it been deleted? Only the daily use of H1 can answer these questions. BRM V12-44 Gulf V12-44 Italia ref. V12-44-GT-CIT-AG