Never since the clepsydra, the water clock of Egyptian pharaohs has it been heard that any watchmakers could transpose water energy in a wristwatch. Neuchâtel-based HYT has turned utopia into reality by uniting two worlds that are diametrically opposed to each other – mechanics and liquids into the watchmaking stratosphere.
“In more recent times, traditional watchmakers have always kept liquids away from the mechanics in watches, but HYT did exactly the opposite. Replacing the gravitational energy used in water clocks and combining horology with the advanced microfluidic technology, we created a wearable haute horology water wristwatch,” said Gregory Dourde, CEO of HYT.
According to him, each HYT timepiece has two major components: a mechanical movement and a fluid module. The mechanical movements are made by some of the world’s fine watchmakers including Audemars Piguet Renaud et Papi (APRP) and Chronode. HYT’s sister company Preciflex which develops, industrialises and manufactures micro-devices using fluids for indication, diffusion, injection and to generate or manage electric power, is responsible for the manufacture of the fluid module.
Invented by Lucien Vouillamoz, co-founder of HYT, the technical principle behind their watches is simple – using fluid to indicate time. There are two flexible reservoirs with a capillary (tube of glass) attached at each end in each HYT timepiece. This closed system is to comprise different coloured, non-miscible liquids in each reservoir. The separation between the two liquids is ensured by the positive and negative polarity of the molecules in both, which would make them repel each other’s edges like two magnets. At six o’clock, the two high-strength and ultra-flexible bellows (technology used by NASA) are actuated by a piston to enable the fluid to move inside the capillary. The hours are indicated by the coloured fluorescent aqueous liquid released from the flexible reservoir with no need of the hour hand in each piece.
The practice of pushing engineering to its limits, using high-tech materials alongside making avant-garde watches in ingenious design is not easy for HYT production team. Gregory Dourde told Hong Kong Jewellery that their team had to invent a whole new technology with over 30 patents utilising advanced sciences to find solutions. “One of the key success factors is to merge experts coming from different horizons, among which are PhD holders in chemistry and microfluidics, physicians from aerospace and of course, watchmakers. Having a common understanding and language was quite a challenge,” he added.
A massive acceleration in new technology R&D with quick implementations has made earth-shaking changes in today’s world, like social media changes people’s communication behaviours and artificial intelligence makes lives convenient and production automated. This background is where HYT’s inspirations came from. Watchmaking industry needs to understand and be part of all these transformations, said Dourde. “We have to change our vision and understand that the wrists are two strategic spots on our body that draw more and more attention from non-watchmaking big players, which brings new threats but also opportunities of developing watches according to future customers’ needs,” he emphasised.
Apart from technology, designs and materials, HYT tries to remain cutting edge in terms of working with people and the services they provide. They launched a team of itinerant watchmakers called HYT Squad in 2016 that travel around the world to provide on-site upgrades, repairs and other services at their various points of sales, changing the traditional way of after-sale services where customers send watches back to Switzerland.
Although HYT delivers each timepiece with a ground-breaking fluid technology, the innovative horologist remains faithful to certain traditional watchmaking codes. “Fluid innovation is, and will remain, in our DNA, but this doesn’t prevent us from playing around with the codes of traditional watchmaking,” said Vincent Perriard, co-founder of the company. H2 Tradition is their first collection with lacquered dials and blue hands in contemporary classic style unveiled at Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) in 2016. At SIHH 2017, they paid tribute to the watchmaking tradition again by launching the first pocket watch, the Skull Pocket combining the company’s signature and sought-after Skull collection with mechanical light source. They also joined the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH), an organisation of fine watchmakers in 2016, which explains that their creativity is still expressed within the strict framework of haute horology.
As an independent start-up established in 2012, HYT employs nearly 50 staff working on five permanent collections. The brand launches about 400 pieces a year with over 65 points of sales worldwide and two subsidiaries in Singapore and Miami. Every collection of HYT is in a very limited release, which targets high-class and tech-savvy collectors who seek niche pieces. “Watch lovers and young consumers are excited and curious about the technology behind our futuristic watches. HYT tells time in an intuitive way, without losing a traditional touch,” Dourde said.
Facing 2017, Gregory Dourde projects that consumers will want timepieces to assert their uniqueness. HYT will continue to invest in new technology and interact with end customers and retailers in order to offer exclusive pieces, integrating some elements of different cultures, together with HYT’s aesthetical codes. “Obviously, I cannot disclose our secret R&D and development plans but after only three years on the market, be sure that we are just at the beginning of the HYT story,” he added.
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