When HYT entered the watchmaking scene in 2012, it pushed the notions of creativity and invention to the limit. This high-end Swiss watch company did not seek to emulate others, but chose to reinvent the depiction of time. The first model the company produced, the HYT H1 Titanium, incorporated a green liquid which was pumped using a mechanical movement through a glass capillary around the periphery of a circular watch dial, in order to indicate time. It cleverly used the meniscus formed between a green and colourless liquid to denote the hours, with minutes displayed on a more conventional subdial. Thereafter, other models were launched.
The HYT H2 continued with the idea of using liquids to impart the hours but, this time, the pumps driving the liquids were arranged in a V-form, reminiscent of a high performance car engine.
Other variants of the HYT H1 and H2 have followed, endowed with different coloured liquids, including red and blue. However, the Skull Bad Boy is the first timepiece from HYT to feature a black fluid.
Offering an alternative shade may not, in itself, sound much. However, be under no misapprehension, there is much chemical know-how employed whenever a new shade of fluid is released. Each liquid must behave in a uniform manner ie the viscosity must not change. The liquid must be stable and not degrade or separate with age. Both temperature and UV light must not adversely effect the fluid. Finally, the meniscus must always remain intact and the fluid should not adhere to the interior walls of the capillary or the precision may be impaired.
As a former co-owner of a chemical factory, I can empathise with the numerous challenges the team at HYT inevitably encounters and, more pertinently, invariably has to overcome in order to release a new blush of colour to its models.
Prior to the launch of the Skull Bad Boy, the liquids used always reflected available light, appearing bright and fluorescent. But, with the Skull Bad Boy, the behaviour of the black liquid does not conform with HYT tradition. Instead, the black liquid absorbs available light, making it 'impossible to read' in the dark.
In itself, the idea of a watch proving illegible for a proportion of the time sounds crazy. Indeed, as regular readers of ESCAPEMENT will know, we often select watches which are notably legible, prizing this quality very highly. However, surprisingly I can excuse the part-time trait of this timepiece because of the appearance it exhibits.
The capillary which resembles a light bulb in form, no doubt proving difficult to fabricate owing to its numerous curves, traces the centrally positioned skull. This interesting hours display is not as easy to read as other HYT models and even eschews the separate minutes display that works so well on the H1 and H2 models, however, once again I forgive the Skull Bad Boy for its impaired readability. The fact is, like many so-called 'bad boys', you overlook any misdemeanours because their innate charm 'wins you over' ; the HYT Skull Bad Boy proves to be no exception.
I have tried to rationalise my predilection for this challenging timepiece and attribute its appeal to the artistic facade it presents to the world. This is a charmer, a watch which you cannot help but like.
The skull is formed of a composite material, made to resemble Damascus steel. A foundry local to HYT in the canton of Neuchâtel created the raw material, comprised of multiple layers of steel and carbon, 'folded in on themselves a total of 256 times'. Each skull rendition exhibits its own unique appearance with no two looking the same. A translucent top coat of varnish is finally applied to the surface of the skull.
I personally find the resultant appearance of the skull to be enchanting. Its layers harmoniously marry both black and grey tint, according the surface with a beguiling mien. Furthermore, look closely at the epidermis of the skull and you will be able to observe small crevasses, bestowing an additional quotient of uniqueness.
Positioned between the hour track and the skull, the dial is adorned with a Clous de Paris 'stud' motif, granting a fascinating texture which elicits inquisitive eyes to dwell and admire. Encircling the whole dialscape is a black hour track, marked with Arabic numerals depicted in a 'Gothic font'. Ironically, the numerals are probably the most conventional part of the dial, verging on traditional, but somehow fusing magnificently with the otherwise neoteric design elements employed.
The left eye features a seconds disc. Its rotating gait does not facilitate the measurement of elapsed seconds, but rather provides an indication that the watch is operational, delivering a hypnotic stare in the process.
A power-reserve indicator occupies the right eye socket. As the 65-hour power reserve steadily depletes, the eye becomes increasingly darker.
The Skull Bad Boy does not convey information to the wearer in such a way that the time can be ascertained with split-second accuracy. In fact, deciphering the difference between 12:31 and 12:34 is virtually impossible. However, it does not matter. This is a watch which displays time with an extraordinary degree of artistic splendour. Having had this watch upon my wrist, I can say, categorically, I fell head over heels with its sinister horological beauty. vedere di piu imitazione rolex e Rolex cellini
