HYT SIHH 2016 First Watch: HYT H2 Tradition Revealed

The liquid powered watch skulls will take back seat, at least during SIHH 2016 for HYT. HYT has decided to go ‘traditional’ for it’s first innings at SIHH. Scheduled to begin on January 18^th, SIHH will play host to a bunch of independent watchmakers for the first time. HYT is one of them and the unusual watch brand has decided to do what it never wanted to – use a traditional method of telling time along with its signature liquid driven hours through HYT H2 Tradition.

News Points

1. HYT introduces a traditional Horology inspired HYT SIHH 2016 Watch for its first SIHH.
2. The watch is called HYT H2 Tradition which will be limited to 50 pieces. Ref.: 248-TW-10-BF-AB
3. It uses guilloche finish and lacquered dials and is easier to read than other HYT watches

HYT H2 Tradition has the same reservoir system to tell hours by running a coloured liquid around the dial. What’s new about the HYT SIHH 2016 launch is that HYT for the first time has used lacquered dials and blued hands to tell the minutes and seconds. HYT H2 tradition also uses a traditional diamond patterned guilloche finish for its base dial. The watch is very easy to read, now! HYT an independent brand that prides itself in being completely different from the rest of the watch world has for the first time used traditional techniques to ornate its dial, something the brand CEO once said, will never be done!

“While the initial idea – to create a classic HYT – was simple enough, in practice, ways of preserving the identity of the piece, whilst imbuing it with codes which are not naturally its own, had to be constantly found. Its a fantastic challenge, suggested by our collector customers, and one that we have met with aplomb”, concludes Vincent Perriard.

This constant balance between tradition and modernity is more complex than it seems. HYT had to modify the design of the H2’s calibre. The goal? To give it a more classic appearance of a haute horlogerie machine.

The balance, for example, has been recentred to provide room on the dial for the minutes. This simple shift meant a large part of the movement’s design had to be overhauled, a feat once again achieved by HYT’s long-standing partners, APRP. The case has also been re-designed, with the crown protector removed, in yet another nod towards the codes of watchmaking tradition.

Specifications

Case:
Polished, microblasted and satin-finished white gold and titanium

• Diameter: 48.8 mm
• Height: 17.9 mm
• Screw-down titanium dynamometric crown
• Titanium case middle with light anthracite grey PVD coating
• Rider at 6 o’clock, Roman numeral, titanium filled with blue varnish
• Domed sapphire crystal (box) with anti-reflection coating
• Screw-down sapphire case-back
• Water-resistant to 50 metres

Functions:
 Retrograde fluidic hours; minutes, seconds

• Crown position indicator (H-N-R)

Dial:

• Lacquered varnished hour dial with 4N treatment, black Roman numerals
• Lacquered varnished minute dial (12 o’clock) and seconds dial (2:30) with 4N treatment; blued minute hand
• Black indices (minutes, seconds) and Arabic numerals

Strap:

• Patent blue alligator and titanium deployant buckle

50-piece limited edition_; Ref.: 248-TW-10-BF-AB