Switzerland-based brand HYT Watches has a new style on the horizon with its H2 Tradition timepiece. While the company has not gone out of their way to create classics, HYT CEO Vincent Perriard explained, “We have always said that we would never create a classic piece. Having said that, this is exactly what we’ve done!”
The H2 Tradition timepiece represents the company’s history well. Dating back to its beginnings, HYT has concerned itself with embracing traditions, but pushing them forward with experimenting and innovation. The H2 Tradition watch does exactly that.
The vision of HYT, Audemars Piguet Renaud and Giulio Papi of Papi, the H2 Tradition impresses with its innovative spin on the classic timepiece, incorporating liquid into a wristwatch. A capillary is connected to two flexible reservoirs that feature both colored and transparent liquid that represent hours. As hours progress, the colored liquid advances to occupy more space.
Discussing the design process behind the new H2 Tradition watch, Perriard shared, “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.” Perriard continues, “It’s a fantastic challenge, suggested by our collector customers, and one that we have met with aplomb.”
A pairing of firsts for the company, the H2 Tradition is HYT’s first model with classic guilloché finishes. It is also the first style to feature blue hands and lacquered dials.
While the above-mentioned pays tribute to tradition, the H2 Tradition embraces modern trends with one of its key details–a hydro-mechanical aesthetic that includes a capillary with blue fluid that moves forward as each hour passes. Originally developed in 2013 for the brand’s first HYT watch, the capillary functions as a result of two bellows that reside on each side of 6:00.
Proud of its H2 Tradition model, Perriard notes that “Fluid innovation is, and will remain, in our DNA but this doesn’t prevent us from playing around with the codes of traditional watchmaking. Fun, experimentation, the joy of surprise: after all, that’s what we do best!”
When it comes to the H2 Tradition timepiece, HYT has dedicated time to refining the model to reflect a careful balance between classic standards and modern advancements. Catering to a traditional visual with a contemporary convenience, the H2 Tradition’s calibre was reworked, providing room on the dial to display the minutes.
HYT worked with one of its regular partners APRP to accomplish the feat. Redesigning the case of the H2 Tradition, the crown protector was removed to celebrate traditional watchmaking. The H2 Tradition’s beautiful diamond guilloché finish was also taken into account when designing the watch. Accommodating for the main plate’s side finishes in rhodium-plated nickel silver, the bridges of the watch were modified and hand-bevelled after being reconstructed and polished.
H2 Tradition Timepiece Specs
Case: Polished, microblasted and satin-finished white gold and titanium
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Diameter: 48.8 mm
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Height: 17.9 mm
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Screw-down titanium dynamometric crown
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Titanium case middle with light anthracite grey PVD coating
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Rider at 6 o’clock, Roman numeral, titanium filled with blue varnish
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Domed sapphire crystal (box) with anti-reflection coating
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Screw-down sapphire case-back
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Water-resistant to 50 metres
Functions: Retrograde fluidic hours; minutes, seconds
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Crown position indicator (H-N-R)
Movement: Mechanical with manual winding, exclusive HYT calibre
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21,600 Vph, 3 Hz, 28 jewels
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Microblasted and stainless steel polished bridges with polished and locked internal angles
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Diamond guilloché main plate in rhodium-plated nickel silver, rhodium-plated bellows
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192-hour (8-day) power reserve
Dial:
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Lacquered varnished hour dial with 4N treatment, black Roman numerals
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Lacquered varnished minute dial (12 o’clock) and seconds dial (2:30) with 4N treatment; blued minute hand
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Black indices (minutes, seconds) and Arabic numerals
Strap:
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Patent blue alligator and titanium deployant buckle
50-piece limited edition; Ref.: 248-TW-10-BF-AB
For more information on the H2 Tradition watch and HYT, visit HYTWatches.com.
I partnered with the brand to write this article but every word is mine.
