Keeping Things Fluid This Monday Morning With The HYT T1 — A Closed Dial Opens Up A World Of Opportunities

One of the biggest recent watch surprises happened the day before Watches and Wonders 2024. Impressively, the watches even captivated all four of the Fratello team members who were there. Normally, a watch release provokes much debate among us. However, the enthusiasm for the four different HYT T1 watches presented on the banks of Lake Geneva was unanimous. We all agreed that the new concept of the closed dial, the intriguing case shape, and the way it feels and functions were downright impressive.

It would go way too far to state that HYT is making hydromechanical watchmaking for the masses with the new T1 series. But with a starting price of CHF 48,000 excluding taxes and a design that’s far easier to embrace, the T1 is an important watch for the Neuchâtel-based brand. HYT burst onto the watch scene in 2012 with the H1, the first wristwatch that used fluids to indicate time. In the following years, Vincent Perriard and his team of “hydromechanical horologists” created a string of wild and, quite frankly, colossal 50mm watches. The brand hit some obstacles too. Periard left in 2016, and HYT filed for bankruptcy in March 2021 only to be resurrected soon after. This year sees Periard return as executive chairman. The man of the first hour is on board, overseeing the brand’s reboot until a new chief executive steps in.

The HYT T1 marks the reboot of the brand

The rebooting of HYT — Vincent Periard called it “a three-year journey of reconstruction” in the New York Times — materialized in the new, four-watch strong T1 series. You would guess that the “T” in the name stands for “titanium” since all four new watches use the lightweight alloy, but it doesn’t. The “T” in the name stands for “tradition,” one of innovative hydromechanical microengineering that has gone through ups and downs. If the saying “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” applies, HYT 2.0 will be more stable. Still, a watch brand is only as good as the products it puts on the market. And this year, HYT is taking a major step with the launch of the T1 quartet. The T1 series is a completely new design concept.

Within the HYT T1 series are the Titanium Silver, Titanium Salmon, and Titanium Slate models. There’s also the lavish Deep Blue iteration in a red gold and black DLC titanium case. Yes, the 45.3 × 46.3 × 17.2mm case is still large, but as you can see in the pictures, the watch fits well. The T1 is indeed a wristwatch rather than a wearable design object. That said, there are still plenty of design details that lift the T1 above the majority of watches.

Exploring the octagon and its extension

The main shape of the T1 is an octagon, but the two case sides each show a flowing, curved line. The watch case’s dynamic appearance comes from the subtly faceted sides and the crown between 2 and 3 o’clock that’s protected by a single, elongated crown guard below. There’s also the striking integration of the rubber strap. The way the two different materials flow into each other seamlessly looks powerful. It also feels solid, which was somewhat surprising because the straps can be easily interchanged. Some quick-change-strap systems can feel a bit flimsy, but the T1’s certainly doesn’t.

The four of us Fratello writers who attended the launch were presented with a tray of rubber straps in different colors to test the system and were all positively surprised. We also found that different strap colors completely changed the looks of the watches we were trying on. It struck us how the four dial colors matched such a wide range of colored straps. In that sense, the T1 is an edgy chameleon.

As mentioned, three versions of the T1 come in titanium, with another in a mix of 5N (red) gold and black DLC titanium. All four versions are water resistant to 50 meters and come with two interchangeable straps, each with a titanium buckle. This makes it even easier, faster, and more inviting to regularly change the look of the watch.

The T1’s closed dial opens possibilities

Before the T1, all HYT creations were veritable exhibitionists showing everything they had all the time. It was almost as if nobody would notice how extraordinary they were otherwise. The T1 is the first introverted creation. Introverted for an HYT, that is. The dial itself, which comes in blue, silver, salmon, or slate gray, shows a prominent sunburst finish in the center with circular satin brushing along the minute track and hour ring. A small power reserve indicator sits between 2 and 3 o’clock, and the large, edgy central hand indicates the minutes.

And now we get to the brand’s signature party piece, the fluid indication of time. On the blue- and salmon-dial versions, the hours are told by a black fluid that moves along the applied Arabic numerals, and the other two versions use a blue liquid. One of the most intriguing parts of the watch is how the high-tech borosilicate glass capillary tube in which the fluid moves comes out of the dial at 6 o’clock. It adds to the mystery of liquid timekeeping. And because the dial is closed, the T1 is the most enigmatic HYT creation so far.

The fundamentals of the hydromechanical HYT T1

Once you turn the T1 around, the origins of the liquid timekeeping reveal themselves. Well, you still need to know exactly what you’re looking at to understand the workings of the caliber 501-CM. The 352-part, manual-winding, 4Hz movement with a 72-hour power reserve is a unique little machine. The two small bellows, which look like the pistons of an engine, are responsible for indicating the hours. If one bellow compresses, the other one expands, resulting in the fluid moving on the dial side of the watch. The movement also shows finely sandblasted and brushed surfaces and black and silver coatings.

Looking at the caliber 501-CM is like looking at a miniature power plant. It’s impressive, intriguing, and strikingly different. That said, it’s also nice that you don’t have to look at it constantly. Watching steel being produced in a factory is also spectacular, but you don’t want that as a permanent view either.

Final thoughts on the four HYT T1 watches

The T1 is more “normal” than any previous HYT watch, yet it’s still special enough to stand out. It’s no longer the guy in the tailored fluorescent green pants and purple velvet jacket with a bleach-blond mohawk. The T1 still has a mohawk, but the rest of the outfit has been toned down without forsaking originality. The shapes of the T1 are very distinct, the fluid still catches your attention, and with a 45.3mm case diameter, the watch is still prominent. It just looks a bit more civilized, you could say.

Also, the spot-on dial colors play a part in the oversized watch’s distinguished appearance. The salmon dial is the most classic, the silver the sportiest, the slate gray the most contemporary, and the blue the most lavish in combination with the 5N gold case. Choosing a favorite among them proved incredibly difficult. That’s also because all the differently colored straps constantly changed the character and look of the different versions. It seems a toned-down look and easy interaction leads to a versatile and easy-to-wear watch. From a more practical perspective, the relatively short length of the oversized case and the way the rubber strap integrates make for a comfortable timepiece on the wrist.

Pricing and future complications

The T1 series is the entry-level collection from HYT 2.0. The gold version (H03208-A) has a price of CHF 64,000 before taxes, and the titanium Silver (H H03205-A), Slate (H03206-A), and Salmon (H03207-A) versions cost CHF 48,000, also excluding taxes. Yes, the T1 is an exclusive watch but way more “affordable” than, for instance, the exuberant Moon Runner Ghost, which costs CHF 125,000 before taxes, or the even wilder Conical Tourbillon Black Eklipse with its CHF 335,000 tax-exclusive price. All four T1 references are made in limited quantities. Keep in mind that HYT only produces 200 to 250 watches a year.

The T1 is the first-ever HYT you can wear as a watch instead of a sculpture, and you can do so at a lower price. It seems like a promising proposition for the reinvented HYT. And do you know what’s also promising? A sports model coming later this year, a chronograph in 2026, and other complications the year after. Can you imagine starting, stopping, and resetting time segments with a colored fluid? I can’t, but the folks at HYT can.