HYT H4 Metropolis Limited Edition

The H4 line is based on the same movement architecture as the H1, HYT’s inaugural piece, which has been completely skeletonised. With a 65-hour power reserve, it unveiled its sculptural mechanism for the very first time and opened up a new creative universe for HYT. The new H4 Metropolis follows the footsteps of its big brother by incorporating some innovations which were never employed in the field of watch making.

The H4 Metropolis is a piece equipped with a light source. Under the rider at 6o’clock, HYT has concealed two LEDs. Once activated, they flood the entire dial with blue light. At night, the green fluid is energised by this light source, becoming perfectly visible. At the same time, the wash of light flows into every nook and cranny of the calibre, literally bringing this skeleton architecture to life, and defying the laws of watchmaking.

The source of energy is purely mechanical. The generator has been nestled between 4 and 5 o’clock. It is invisible, and activated by the push-piece located opposite on the case middle. The process is broadly that of a dynamo: converting mechanical power into light energy. It is the rotation of the push-piece at 4:30 that winds the generator. Pressure on this same push-piece then activates the two LEDs which bathe the Metropolis in a soft blue light.

This illumination is possible for a maximum of five seconds, after which the mechanism must be reinitialised. No battery is needed for this process, which is fully mechanical. Three factors made it so tricky to develop: the extreme miniaturisation, the curved shape, and the fact, once again, that no development of this type had ever been achieved before.

The H4 Metropolis will be released as a run of 100 pieces with a 51 mm titanium and DLC case, available worldwide from mid-November.

Technical details

Model: H4 METROPOLIS
Ref: 512-TD-45-GF-RN; 100-piece limited edition

Case
Titanium and titanium black DLC bezel with brushed, shot-peened and satin-finished surfaces
Diameter: 51 mm
Height: 17.9 mm
Rubber-clad screw-down black DLC titanium crown at 2:30 and at 4:30
Black DLC titanium dome at 6 o’clock
Convex sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on the dial side
Screw-down sapphire case-back
Water resistant to 50 metres

Functions
Retrograde fluidic hours; minutes, seconds

Movement
Skeleton mechanical hand-wound movement, HYT exclusive calibre
28,800 vib/h, 4 Hz, 35 jewels
Bridges hand-bevelled and micro blasted, rhodium-plated bellows
65-hour power reserve

Blue light mechanical module
Rewinding and push-button system with a crown at 4:30
The dynamo works when the crown is compressed at 4:30. As soon as the button loosens the light stops working until the full decompression of the additional barrel spring

Dial
Unstructured, fluid hour display
Sapphire minute, seconds and power reserve dial
White minute indexes and numerals
Black hour dial with white numerals
Luminescent grey minute hand and numerals
Regulator at 12 o’clock
Small seconds wheel at 9:30
Power reserve indicator at 2:30

Strap
Black rubber base with integrated NOMEX™ canvas and black DLC titanium folding buckle