lthough its creation in 2012 may be considered very recent in the watchmaking industry, HYT is a brand that has already had several lives. The radical break with tradition that it offers, with time expressed through fluids, showcases technology that is also used in the medical field by the company Preciflex (see our 2018 feature article here), linking it to both the ancient water clock and ultra-high-tech clean rooms. This technology is protected by seven patents and was awarded the Innovation Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève in 2012.

This concept symbolises the exuberant watchmaking that characterises the new millennium, where no fundamental questions are left unanswered and where the watch becomes a philosophical vehicle. But the neo-vintage wave, which served as a counterbalance to this breaking of the mould and which continues to this day, was less favourable to disruptors such as HYT. The brand disappeared in 2021... only to relaunch its fluids a few months later, under the leadership of some of the original founders and shareholders.

Reduced dimensions, improved reliability, enriched watchmaking content and repositioning of prices mark a new phase for the brand. Without ever renouncing fluid, HYT now explores all its possible expressions, from high complications to artistic craftsmanship, to unexpected dialogues with other sensory worlds, such as that of cigars.

HYT’s fluidic movement is based on a mechanism that is both poetic and radically innovative. The passage of time is displayed inside a borosilicate glass capillary tube with an internal diameter of just 0.8 millimetres. Two immiscible liquids, one red and the other transparent, circulate within it. The boundary between the two, called the meniscus, acts as the hour hand.

The Hastroid

The first stone of this re-foundation was laid in 2022 with the Hastroid. This collection marks a decisive step in the brand’s desire to make its watches more wearable, more comfortable and easier to understand on a daily basis, while retaining a strong visual identity. By reducing the dimensions without diluting the character, HYT is embarking on a strategic shift. Hastroid is available in titanium, carbon, magnesium or bronze and has a resolutely contemporary, almost industrial aesthetic, with a starting price of CHF 78,000.

The following year, in 2023, HYT further developed this new language with Moon Runner and, above all, with the introduction of a tourbillon unlike any other. True to its unconventional engineering spirit, the brand opted for a conical architecture rather than a traditional tourbillon mounted on a horizontal axis. This solution reinforces the sculptural dimension of the movement and once again illustrates HYT’s desire to revisit grand complications through its own technological prism.

The fluid dance is driven by mechanical movement: the force exerted by the sensor activates one of the two bellows, located at 6 o’clock. Derived from the aerospace industry, this component has extremely thin walls, equivalent to a quarter of the thickness of a human hair. An essential micro-component, the thermal compensator, then regulates the volume of liquid according to temperature variations, thus ensuring the stability and precision of the mechanism.

Importance of reliability

These visible developments are based on much more discreet but fundamental work: an in-depth reliability programme carried out between 2021 and 2023. The fluidic module, the true heart of the brand’s identity but also the subject of complex technical developments to ensure its durability, has undergone major improvements. This consolidation phase now enables HYT to offer a five-year guarantee.

At the end of 2023, HYT decided to go even further by re-evaluating its positioning. It identified a clear demand for more watchmaking content, more finishes and a more classic aesthetic expression, without abandoning the fluid element. This change of direction came to fruition in the first quarter of 2024 with watches capable of appealing to a more traditional clientele, notably through in-depth work on the dials.

The S1 5N Gold Titanium Red features an ergonomic 45 mm case crafted from 5N gold with a black DLC titanium coating. It is equipped with HYT’s innovative quick-release strap system, allowing for transitions between the included anthracite black rubber strap and the pure black Velcro strap.

The T1 collection, launched in 2024, embodies this new approach. More watch-like in its expression, with solid dials and enhanced readability, it marks a return to a certain form of classicism, while retaining the signature fluidity. Available in titanium from CHF 48,000, the T1 returns to the prices of the first HYT pieces from 2012, a strong symbolic gesture that accompanies a broader desire to (relatively) democratise the brand’s universe.

The T1 is also becoming a testing ground for the arts and crafts. The development of an entirely new guilloché pattern, created by a certified craftsman, transforms the dial into a true canvas for expression. This approach also paves the way for future collaborations, in the spirit of what certain independent houses have been able to develop around the dial as a creative space.

HYT has also released the S1 5N Gold Titanium in a limited edition of eight pieces in collaboration with Congolese musician, producer and artist Fally Ipupa.

The S1

In 2025, HYT returns more directly to its roots with the S1 collection. Here, all the historical codes are reclaimed: openworked dial, visible pistons, retrograde fluid indication, but integrated into a case that has been completely redesigned to improve comfort and wearability. Available in black DLC titanium, the S1 is priced at CHF 58,000 excluding tax and fully embraces its role as a bridge between the heritage of the first H1 models and the brand’s new era.

It is in this context that one of the most unique creations of recent times has been developed: the S1 5N Gold Titanium Cigar, developed by HYT in partnership with Hulecos, a company specialising in cigar humidors launched by Lucien Vouillamoz, one of the co-founders of HYT. Limited to eight pieces worldwide, this timepiece marks both HYT’s first use of gold and the culmination of a natural dialogue between fluidic watchmaking and cigar culture.

Where HYT revolutionises time display with its patented fluidic technology, Hulecos revolutionises cigar enjoyment with its HMC² (Hulecos Moisture Cigar Content) measurement technology, a scientific approach that calculates the true moisture level of cigars, ensuring that each one is smoked at its optimal point. The two Swiss brands, both co-founded by inventor and entrepreneur Lucien Vouillamoz, are collaborating on the S1 5N Gold Titanium Cigar.

The watch combines a black DLC titanium and 5N rose gold case with a rhodium-plated brass brown dial, crossed by a red fluid whose hue evokes the embers of a lit cigar. The brown alligator strap extends this chromatic narrative, recalling the texture and patina of tobacco leaves. The overall effect is warm and muted, contrasting with the brand’s often highly technical image.

At the heart of the S1 5N Gold Titanium Cigar beats the calibre 501-CM, comprising 352 components and representing more than a decade of hydromechanical innovation. This manufacture movement offers a robust 72-hour power reserve while maintaining a precise frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour.

The S1 5N Gold Titanium Cigar is not sold on its own, but accompanied by the Hulecos H1, a precision instrument designed to measure the humidity at the heart of tobacco leaves and determine the ideal moment for tasting. Presented together in a special case, the watch and the device share the same philosophy: that of a ritual at the crossroads of Swiss technology and a demanding art of living.

With this CHF 78,000 edition, HYT demonstrates its ability to extend its fluidic language beyond the strict confines of watchmaking. Without breaking with its DNA, the brand explores a more sensory and cultural dimension, where fluid no longer simply indicates the time, but participates in a broader narrative, rooted in experience and contemplation.

After a period of reconstruction away from the spotlight, HYT is now moving forward with a more ‘horological’ identity that is more legible and more open, but still radically unique.

“The fluidic movement inspired by the clepsydra will remain at the heart of our identity,” emphasises Loïc Burtin, head of marketing and communications for the Neuchâtel-based brand. “At the same time, in the coming years, we will also be exploring other ancestral watchmaking technologies that will complement — not replace — our liquid signature.”

He concludes: “Our ambition goes beyond simply evoking ancestral timepieces. We want to bring them back to life by combining these age-old principles with today’s cutting-edge technologies and the expertise of Swiss Haute Horlogerie. It is this unique alchemy – between heritage and radical innovation – that defines our DNA and speaks so deeply to our collectors.”

We will find out more at the next edition of Watches and Wonders...