2024 sees perhaps the third or even fourth “relaunch” of the interesting Swiss watch brand HYT. The new star collection for the “hydromechanical horologists” is the HYT T1, which debuts in four model variations that I have photographed for you here. The T1 is a thematic rethink of the original HYT H1 concept taking the brand’s latest core movement and giving the design an updated contemporary feel. In this article, I will compare and contrast the HYT brand and watches when the H1 (and the company) debuted in 2012, and the T1 in 2024.
In 2012, HYT launched with Vincent Perriard at the Helm. His knack for emotional marketing and energy helped bring attention (and sales) to a totally new concept with an ambitious plan for making watches and novel liquid-indicator mechanical movements via a related company (Preciflex). When the H1 came out, the movements were mostly non-tested in a real-world setting, and it took a few years for the company to improve the liquid “capillaries” and the overall efficiency of the mechanism. Still, it was heralded as a major achievement in watchmaking in 2012. The H1 was a very large wristwatch at 49mm wide and just under 18mm thick. This was simply in line with tastes and trends at the time. The H1 has a semi-skeletonized dial and is focused on futuristic colors such as bright neon green. The HYT H1 watches started at about $45,000 in 2012.
Vincent Perriard left HYT only to bounce back into operation of the brand from time to time. For 2024, with the company under new financial ownership, Vincent Perriad is back but in a less public-facing manner, as Mr. Vahe Vartzbed is formally running the company. HYT is still a high-end independent watchmaker, probably with aspirations of making around the same number of watches as it did in 2012. HYT had years to improve its core mechanical mechanisms and increase performance and reliability. The T1 has a similar but much-improved movement known as the caliber 501-CM. The case is still futuristic but in a different flavor and a reduced size (45.3mm wide). The case is just over 17mm thick, and this time, the dial of the watch is “closed” without any view into the mechanics inside. For that, you merely need to turn the case over and inspect the fascinating manually wound movement and the liquid indicators bellows systems through the rear sapphire crystal window. Interestingly, entry prices in 2024 are about the same as they were in 2012, with the T1 in titanium starting at 48,000 Swiss Francs.
The HYT T1 case is geometric in its form, with a great emphasis on “looking cool” while being as compact as possible around the relatively large movement and indication system. As I mentioned above, the T1 case is 45.3mm wide, 17.2mm thick, and has a 46.3mm-long lug-to-lug distance. The case is also water resistant to 50 meters. Over the dial is a box-style sapphire crystal that helps further reduce visual mass and increases dial legibility when viewing it at angles. With the reduced case size and carefully sculpted strap, the HYT T1 wears snugly on the wrist and is about as shy as you could ask for in a 45mm-wide timepiece. The lightweight titanium case material doesn’t hurt, either. Finally, even though the straps have proprietary connectors, they detach easily with a quick-release system.
Inside the HYT T1 is the brand’s more modern 501-CM manually wound mechanical movement. Unlike the original H1, the minute hand is now in the center of the dial (as opposed to eccentrically placed near the top), but otherwise, the indicators are similar. That includes a peripheral moving liquid indicator for the hours, a traditional minute hand, and a power-reserve indicator. While the movement is capable of having a running seconds hand, HYT decided to remove that part on this watch in favor of a clear dial experience. I think it works out quite nicely. The T1 is certainly among the most legible HYT timepieces ever made. HYT calls them more classic. Do you agree? Or is this just another form of futurism?
The 501-CM movement operates at 4Hz with 72 hours of power reserve and comprises 352 parts. The bellows are made for the company by a specialized supplier outside the watch industry. This is a very cool and exotic movement that you will not see analogs of at other companies. HYT has a few liquid colors to choose from (though not all color pigments actually work), including blue and black. Other color differences for the first four models include three dial hues for the three titanium models, as well as an 18k rose gold and titanium version. The dial colors include copper (“Salmon”), silver, slate gray, and deep blue. HYT has made it clear that future variations of the T1 will come, though it is difficult to say if they will remain conservatively colored or go in a wilder direction. I think it is very interesting that HYT went from being the neon-green brand in 2012 to having copper as the wildest color for its 2024 timepiece collection.
On the wrist, the HYT T1 is a nice-looking watch — still polarizing but less overtly so than the H1. There is still an interesting quirkiness to the brand concept and design, but compared to 2012, the 2024 iteration of HYT feels much more poised and refined. I think it is also important to state again that buyers have far more assurances that the movements work better today given the years of refinements.
One challenge HYT will have in 2024’s crowded competitive landscape is if its watches are novel or different enough now, as they were when the brand concept was originally launched over a decade ago. Has the reputation and concept of the brand sunk in enough that more veteran collectors will be the T1’s first buyers, or will HYT be able to again capture the “youth vote” and succeed with newer wealthy collectors who feel the T1 is sufficiently “fresh.” These are questions that only time can answer. What do you think about the HYT “fluidic time display” system on a cleaner, closed dial (as opposed to a semi-skeletonized one)? The HYT T1 debut launch models include the references H03205-A (titanium case with silver-colored dial), H03206-A (titanium case with slate gray dial), and H03207-A (titanium case with a “salmon” copper-colored dial) priced at 48,000 CHF. The HYT T1 reference H03208-A has an 18k rose gold and titanium case and has a retail price of 64,000 CHF. Learn more at the HYT website.
