Neuchâtel, September 3, 2014 - HYT CEO Vincent Perriard announced his decision to progressively introduce watchmaking teams and workshops into HYT's new Neuchatel premises, a gain in both independence and mastery for HYT. 

The significant partnership with Dominique Renaud will allow both parties to further explore their passion for fine watchmaking and technology of fluids bringing evolution and new developments to the industry. To this effect, Dominique Renaud's mandate will be to lead HYT's Fine Watchmaking department and Special Projects in Neuchatel. 

HYT also continues to invest heavily in its niche and exceptional R&D 5-year programme hand in hand with Dominique Renaud thus allowing the young Swiss company to continue to bring ground breaking innovations to the industry whilst keeping a firm grip on its production line and the watchmaking profession as a whole. HYT has many patents under application through its close partnership with Preciflex, the exclusive developer of HYT's liquid movements. 

Fluid Modules Preciflex

Spread amongst engineers, chemists, marketing, sales and production, HYT and Preciflex now count a staff force of more than 33 people, a number that will increase in Q4 2014 as HYT and Master Watchmaker Dominique Renaud begin to build HYT's new team of Watchmakers. 

Production Preciflex

Vincent Perriard announced 'We have some innovational ideas under development, advancements that will bring much more power to the motorisation of HYT's movements. This in turn will allow us to introduce even more complications that unite mechanics and liquid in one wristwatch'. 

HYT's alchemists of the extreme are only at the beginning of their hydro-mechanical horology exploration.

HYT in a few words

HYT’s Hydromechanical Horologists have turned fantasy into reality, mixing mechanics and liquid within a wristwatch. While addicted to non-conformism, these alchemists have drawn upon the strictest codes of fine watchmaking, and shattered them. 

THE PRINCIPLE

Two flexible reservoirs with a capillary attached at each end. In one, a coloured liquid; in the other, a transparent one. Keeping them apart is the repulsion force of the molecules in each fluid. 

The hours are indicated by the coloured liquid released from a flexible reservoir compressed by a piston. These reservoirs, or bellows, are located at six o’clock and are made from a supple alloy. The first coloured liquid travels through the capillary pushing the transparent one back into its own reservoir and then returning to its original position at six o’clock in what is referred to as a retrograde manner.

HYT H2 Black DLC & Pink Gold

The two reservoirs at 06:00. While the first compresses, the second expands, and the other way round, resulting in the movement of the liquid in the capillary. As the hours go by, the coloured liquid advances. The meniscus, in the shape of a half moon, marks the separation point with the other fluid in the tube, indicating the time. At 18:00, the coloured liquid comes back to its original position, going backwards. 

The secret that gets the reservoirs going? Two bellows made of a highly resistant, flexible alloy, each driven by a piston. And this is where watchmaking comes in to activate the system.

HYT is continuing its all-encompassing quest for hybridisation by introducing its new collection: the H2. This timepiece was born of a vision shared by the teams of HYT and Audemars Piguet Renaud & Papi overseen by Giulio Papi.

THE FOUNDERS & CEO

Patrick Berdoz, Lucien Vouillamoz, Emmanuel Savioz, Vincent Perriard (CEO)

HYT in a few figures

2014 Pipeline Objectives

• Production: Sale of 500 pieces in 2014
• More than 45 points of sale
• September opening of HYT Asia, HYT's first subsidiary to directly serve S.E Asia
• Projection to open 2 HYT stores including one in Geneva

Dominique Renaud (1988)

Dominique Renaud

The Success Story Time-Line

• 1977: Graduate of National Watchmaking School of Besançon/ L'école nationale d'horlogerie de Besançon (Top of the class)
• 1980-1976: AUDEMARS PIGUET, movement workshop
• 1986: Co-founder with G. Papi of RENAUD ET PAPI SA
• 1989: Co-Founder with C. Claret of RENAUD PAPI CLARET (RPC SA) known today as Manufacture Claret SA in Locle (Switzerland)
• 1992: AUDEMARS PIGUET invests in Renaud et Papi SA which is renamed AUDEMARS PIGUET (RENAUD et PAPI) SA

• From 2000: Dominique leaves the company and sells all his remaining shares to AUDEMARS PIGUET. He starts his own personal innovative projects and ideas linked to the fundaments of watchmaking
• 2013: Co-founder with Luiggino Torrigiani of DOMINIQUE RENAUD SA in Eysins (VD) with the objective of conceptualising (R&D), producing and commercialising innovative time pieces: A Swiss Watch Innovation Lab developing break through innovations, original ideas and highly complex movements linked to the very heart of the watch.

Dominique Renaud (1990)

RENAUD et PAPI: the highlights

• For IWC: Ultra-modern highly complex modular minute repeater for the Grande Complication
• For AUDEMARS PIGUET: the smallest minute repeater calibre and the first Grande Sonnerie Carillon Bracelet 
• For JAEGER LE-COULTRE: development of the micro-repetition minute (Reverso) 
• For A. LANGE & SOHNE: the Fusee Tourbillon
• For FRANCK MULLER: Various complications