Swiss Watchmaking's Mad Scientist Makes Time Glow & Flow
A lot of haute horlogerie brands flirt with futurism, but few commit the way HYT does. The Swiss indie watchmaker runs more like a lab than a horology house, blending fluid mechanics, sci-fi visuals, and some of the most impressive micro-engineering in the game.
Its watches are streamlined, slightly offbeat, and, in the best way, a little bit strange. Naturally, I had to try them for myself at Watches & Wonders. If MB&F and Richard Mille are space-age racers, HYT is the mad scientist
Its signature move? Using glowing liquid to mark the hours. Limited to just eight pieces, I spent time with both the T1 Titanium Guilloché, and the S1 Beadblasted Titanium Red, a lightweight, angular sports watch powered by HYT’s fluidic system in red A slightly older variant, the S1 Titanium DLC Green variant even features UV-reactive fluid that glows under black light, a solid party trick if you’re bold enough to wear it out.
But the real showstopper was the Conical Tourbillon, designed by master watchmaker Eric Coudray. A 30-second spinning tourbillon floats at center stage while three green orbs orbit at chaotic, hypnotic speeds. Though not part of this year’s novelties, HYT gave Highsnobiety an exclusive look at the Conical Tourbillon Black Eklipse. And of course, it glowed in the dark.
So who’s this for? According to HYT, it’s for early adopters, people who want to move beyond the old guard and don’t mind a little weirdness with their wristwear. And honestly? For all the science and spectacle, HYT's timepieces still look damn good on the wrist
