On the runway to success - MCH Group

PALACE PAGE 18
SATURDAY. MARCH 10. 2012
Hydraulic timekeeping
Mechanical watch displays the time using liquids and a miniaturized hydraulic system
The first model launched by the
brand HYT is called H1, and it
literally displays the hours using
the displacement of two liquids,
one coloured and one transparent,
contained within a micro
tube 1.6 mm in diameter. Even if
this is not the first time that a
watch company has placed fluid
inside of a calibre − Concord’s
C1 Quantum Gravity disposed of
a power reserve indicated by liquid
level − it has never been used
to mark the passing hours. When
Concord launched that piece
Vincent Perriard, CEO of HYT.
Extreme watchmaking
Christophe Claret takes on magnetism and the dual-wing-style movement
Christophe Claret’s critically
acclaimed eponymous brand
continues to gain traction among
connoisseurs and collectors
thanks to the fill of incredibly
imaginative mechanics emerging
since 2009.
The big announcement here at
BASELWORLD is the advent of
the X-TREM-1 timepiece. Naturally,
it is no less complicated than
you would expect from this master
of unusual complications. The
X-TREM-1 boasts a flying tourbillon
inclined at a 30-degree angle
Christophe Claret’s X-TREM-1 has a
magnetically driven time display.
back in 2008, it was headed up by
Vincent Perriard.
Perriard is also involved in HYT
and is actually CEO of the brand.
The H1, though, is the fruit of an
extreme amount of work completed
in particular by Lucien Vouillamoz,
inventor of the technology,
and a clever team that includes
Bruno Moutarlier, in charge of
production, and Sébastien Perret,
the designer. The technology comprises
two distinct parts: the fluid
system developed from scratch
and the mechanical movement
made possible by a double ceramic
bearing and cone-shaped pinion
transmission mounted on a beadblasted
‘three-dimensional’ titanium
base plate. The hours and
minutes are displayed to the left
and right of where the dial would
generally be by means of a linear
retrograde display system that is
radically different from existing
systems and ever-so-slightly reminiscent
of the Dual Tow model
from 2009 − except for a decisive
detail. Two tiny hollow steel
spheres 4 mm in diameter isolated
within 23 mm sapphire crystal
tubes to the left and right of the
numerical displays ‘magically’
move with no seeming mechanical
connection to the movement.
Indeed, their motion is created by
the force of magnetic fields. Under
normal circumstances these would
be exceedingly harmful to a
mechanical movement, but here
are aided by surgical silk thread
composed of natural proteinaceous
silk fibres. All these elements
combine to create a magic
trick the likes of which is seldom
seen in luxury watchmaking.
The manually wound timepiece
cleverly draws enough energy to
sustain this activity for 50 hours,
realized by Jean-François Mojon
and his team at Chronode.
“The challenge of this mechanical,
manually winding calibre was to
carry the integration of the fluidic
module,” said Mojon. “The rest
was known risk, but the geometry
of the ensemble’s constraints lay
in the transmission of energy.”
State-of-the art technique
The calibre, whose design is dominated
by right angles and a futuristic
look, has 65 hours of power
reserve and beats at 28,800 vph. It
retains all the characteristics of an
haute de gamme movement in
terms of decorated components
and bevels.
This premier ensemble by HYT
primarily concentrates on the
innovative aspect of the calibre.
Composed of a capillary − a glass
micro tube for whose manufacture
a machine was specially developed
− and two pistons similar to a
blacksmith’s bellows, it allows two
incongruous liquids to circulate in
one direction and then the other.
The two liquids are never allowed
to mix. One of them, coloured by
a fluorescent, comprises a water
and alcohol solution to avoid gelling.
The other, which is transparent,
contains an oily mixture. The
supplied by two spring barrels.
Each barrel is assigned a separate
function: one of them supplies
energy to the tourbillon (and
thus the escapement) while the
other supplies energy to the time
display. The latter has its own little
escapement, which takes its
cue from the main escapement
via a cam to ensure extreme accuracy.
The two spring barrels are
designed without lids and are visible
through the sapphire crystal
on the front of the watch. This
fact has them acting somewhat
like power reserve indications.
Horological excellence
The rectangular case has what the
brand calls a ‘curvex’ profile,
meaning it is domed, which is
eminently visible from the side.
Water-resistant to 30 m (no mean
feat for such a complicated timepiece),
the case measures 40.8 x
56.8 x 15 mm. It is crafted mainly
in lightweight grade 5 titanium
and comes in three variations:
polished white gold and beadblasted
black PVD-coated titanium;
polished rose gold and beadblasted
black PVD-coated titanium;
and platinum with beadblasted
black PVD-coated titani-
The liquids encircling the ‘dial’ show
the hour: here it is 10:12.
contact zone between the two liquids
is called the ‘meniscus’, which
is grounded in the physics principle
of superficial tension. In order
to ensure that one fluid does not
penetrate the other, the regularity
of the displacement must remain
perfect under every circumstance.
“The principal factor was the stability
of the fluids, particularly
with regard to temperature level
and displacement of the meniscus,”
explained Vouillamoz, an
engineer by training. Two pistons
work alternately to circulate the
Christophe Claret has brought new dimensions to modern horology.
um. Each version is available in a
strictly limited edition of eight
pieces.
Winding and setting the time is
done by ‘bows’ that lift out of
the case back, which means that
there is no crown to disrupt the
The pistons and bellows are
eminently visible from the back.
liquids within the capillary. Connected
mechanically to the calibre,
one injects its contents while
the other absorbs them from the
micro tube and vice versa. This
function is made possible thanks
to a telescopic piston placed within
the interior of each bellow.
The young brand has given itself
the best means to get going commercially:
an aggressively positioned
price and a hand-picked
sales network. The H1 will be sold
for 39,000 Swiss francs excluding
taxes. (ed) ■ Palace P05
intriguing design of the watch.
An interesting and practical
detail is the Super-LumiNova
placed along the sides of the case
to enable the wearer to read the
time in the dark. (ed) ■ Palace
P05