HYT S1 Titanium «TimeForArt 2024»

HYT is one of the 26 watch brands participating in the second edition of TimeForArt, and it does so with a deep black version of a new type of hydromechanical sports watch. The S1 Titanium « TimeForArt 2024 » is a one-of-a-kind version of the S1 Titanium collection that will be released in the near future. We already presented a glimpse of HYT’s future in the shape of the silver-colored S1 Titanium « Japan Limited Edition.» It is a timepiece showing that the future is bright at HYT and that more is to come. And since we also like to do good and wish contemporary art and artists a bright future, we created the S1 Titanium « TimeForArt 2024 ». It’s a unique watch that will be auctioned as part of the live Phillips New York Watch Auction in December 2024.

TimeForArt 2024 is the second edition of the biennial, a curated auction of exceptional timepieces from some of the world’s most accomplished watchmakers. 100% of the proceeds benefit today’s most visionary artists through the Swiss Institute’s free exhibitions, public programs, education, and community engagement workshops. TimeForArt also provides a year-round platform for creative exchanges between horological and visual arts. Swiss Institute (SI) is a fully independent non-profit space for international contemporary art. It has been one of New York City’s pioneering venues for art since 1986.

The S1 Titanium « TimeForArt 2024 » is, in a way, a perfect blend of horological and visual art. At the heart of the HYT “masterpiece” lies the caliber 501-CM. The absence of a dial offers a perfect view of an intriguing and revolutionary movement that could be described as functional, kinetic art. The 352-part hand-wound movement beats at a rate of 28,800 vibrations per hour (4Hz), uses 41 jewels, and offers an ample power reserve of 72 hours. These numbers and specifications represent the traditional side of the S1 Titanium with its Haute Horlogerie-level finishes and decorations. The fine sandblasted and brushed finishes and the black coating of the movement are much more contemporary. Futuristic is the correct term to describe the two bellows that expand and contract to show the hours through a black fluid.

In 2012, HYT surprised the watch world by presenting the first-ever hydromechanical wristwatch that used a fluid to display time. Over a decade has passed, and the highly complicated movement has since evolved into a reliable power source, but it still possesses a strong X-factor. It’s an incomparable micro spectacle that never ceases to amaze. Even more so if you know that the two small bellows are made of an alloy with walls just one-quarter the thickness of a human hair. And just as stirring is the very fine borosilicate capillary tube connecting the two bellows in which the black liquid flows that mark the hours.

But no matter how striking and artful the one-of-a-kind S1 Titanium « TimeForArt 2024 » might be, it’s also a fully functional sports watch. It's water-resistant to 50 meters, and reading the time on it is more intuitive than you might think. The black central hand indicates the minutes just like a standard one. The hours are indicated by the retrograde black fluid moving past the Arabic numerals on the flange made of a black honeycomb structure. Once you see it, you can never unsee it, so to speak. In the dark, white SLN will help you tell time. The luminous material on the small black hand in the sub dial at 9 o’clock will even help you count the seconds, and because there’s also SLN on the hand of the power reserve indication placed between 2 and 3 o’clock, the lucky wearer of the S1 Titanium « TimeForArt 2024 » will also exactly now when it’s time to wind the unique piece on the wrist.

The blackened movement parts, different hands, and flange are entirely in theme with the stealthy black case of the S1 Titanium « TimeForArt 2024.» The black-coated and satin-finished titanium case has a diameter of 45.30mm, a height of 17.20mm, and a length of 46.30 mm. It’s a well-proportioned and ergonomically shaped case with an ingenious strap design that attaches angularly to ensure a stable and comfortable position on almost any wrist. The watch comes with two straps that can be changed in the blink of an eye via the clever, nail-friendly quick-release system. The black rubber strap blends almost seamlessly into the angular and edgy case, and it fastens with a black buckle made of titanium, showing brushed and sandblasted finishes. There’s also a perfectly adjustable black Velcro strap with a titanium loop buckle in the same color for a casual look.

The open-worked design of the HYT S1 Titanium « TimeForArt 2024 » grabs the attention with a powerful look, compels you to discover its many delicate details, and makes a lasting impression with its technical presence. This latest HYT timepiece is as much an inventive piece of micro-engineering with no equal as an eruption of artistic watch design.

In the fall of 2024, the HYT S1 Titanium « TimeForArt 2024 » will be showcased globally alongside the other participating watches at a series of preview events held in partnership with auction house Phillips. The watch is part of the upcoming New York watch auction at Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo. Bidders can bid in person during the live auction, over the phone, or place bids in advance. The auction will also be live-streamed, allowing collectors to bid in real-time online.

The foundations of HYT’s fluidic time display mechanism

HYT watches are a unique blend of science, technology (developed by PRECIFLEX SA), haute horlogerie, and design. Inspired by the workings of clepsydras that kept time for the pharaohs, HYT timepieces build on two reservoirs made of extremely flexible alloy bellows, located at 6 o'clock and connected to each end of a glass capillary tube. One reservoir contains a colored liquid, while the other holds a transparent one. Driven by the watch movement, the first reservoir compresses while the other expands, causing the liquids to move within the capillary. The two liquids are immiscible (do not mix), with the molecular repulsion force keeping them separate, creating a visible demarcation between the two: the meniscus.

As the hours pass, the liquid moves, and with it the demarcation line that graphically indicates the time along the dial's periphery. Throughout the day, the tube fills over twelve hours with the colored liquid, and when it reaches the end of the capillary, it returns to its initial position in a retrograde motion, beginning a new twelve-hour cycle.

Protected by seven patents, this invention was honored with the Innovation Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève in 2012. It is a technical innovation that presides over all aspects of the HYT design and its three-dimensional architecture.

Technical specifications

HYT S1 Titanium «TimeForArt 2024»

Reference: H03347-A

Unique piece

Caseback engraving: S1 50

Case

• Material: Black coated satin finished titanium
• Black coated titanium crown
• Width: 45.30 mm
• Length: 46.30 mm
• Thickness: 17.20 mm
• Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating
• Water-resistant to 50 metres

Dial and hands

• Black coated brass
• Rhodium plated appliques, white decals, SLN White C1 / WL
• Black liquid inside borosilicate capillary tubeBlack gold satin-finished minutes hand, white SLN
• Black gold satin-finished seconds hand, white SLN
• Black gold satin-finished power reserve hand, white SLN

Movement

• Ref.: 501-CM (352 pieces)
• Mechanical manual winding
• Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
• Number of jewels: 41
• Power reserve of 72 hours
• Finishing: Finely sand-blasted and satin-finished
• Coating: Black and silver coating

Functions/Indications

• Fluidic retrograde hours
• Central minutes hand
• Power reserve hand

Strap and buckle

• Pure black rubber strap
• Pure black Velcro strap
• Pin buckle in black coated titanium
• Buckle in black coated titanium
• Satin & sand-blasted finishes

MSRP

• Up for auction
• Estimate: CHF 62'000 (excl. taxes)

For more information, please visit hytwatches.com