With a more compact and enhanced 48.8mm case, the new HYT Skull 48.8 collection has a message that resonates now more than ever.
The Skull has been an iconic HYT timepiece since 2015. Its boldness pushes the boundaries for a brand that stands out from the crowd, starting with its fluid time display. Every feature of the Skull is designed to act as a “memento mori”, a reminder that life is short and you must seize every moment. It is a symbol of life rather than of death: the fluids which, driven by two flexible reservoirs, progress inside the capillary to mark the passage of time. Without liquid, no life is possible. There would be no timekeeping either: this process began with the first water clocks (or “clepsydras”), over three thousand years ago. As a 21st-century clepsydra, the HYT is a philosophical instrument. Even more so when it takes the form of a bold skull with hollow eyes.
A new model, the HYT Skull 48.8 has been added to the collection. Its case has been slimmed down from 51 mm to 48.8 mm, perfect for more slender wrists. The skull is patinated, a finish designed to enhance it as it ages. The patina grows with every passing second measured by the HYT device. More specifically, measured by the capillary which hugs the outline of the skull – a feat of glass engineering.
The skull might make one think that this is just another passing trend. But this would be to forget that the watchmakers who created the first portable timepieces, in the sixteenth century, at the height of the artistic genre of “memento mori”, immediately recognised the significance of the symbol.
The case for the first version of the Skull 48.8 is made from 5N pink gold. The hours are indicated on the outer bezel. The external dial boasts a magnificent grained effect thanks to its microblasted treatment. The strap is made from matte black alligator.
The second version of the Skull 48.8, made from pink gold (5N) and black DLC titanium, features an external dial treated with an anthracite grey galvanised coating. The cognac-coloured patinated leather strap, with a rubber core, comes with a matching cuff.
Technical Specifications
HYT Skull 48.8 (Pink Gold)
Functions:
- Black fluidic hours
- Seconds, power reserve
Case:
- Pink gold (5N)
- Diameter: 48.8 mm
- Height: 17.9 mm
- Pink gold (5N) hour bezel
- Pink gold (5N) screw-in crown, sheathed in black rubber
- Pink gold (5N) crown guard
- Pink gold (5N) screwed offset lugs
- Pink gold (5N) dome
- Domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on the dial side
- Pink gold (5N) screw-on case back, sapphire crystal
- Water-resistant up to 100 metres
Exclusive patented micro-fluidic module:
- Borosilicate glass capillary tube, interior nano-coating
- Multi-layer metal bellows
- Two immiscible liquids; one transparent, the other coloured with a high performance dye
- Thermal compensator with dedicated bellows and specific liquid
- High-tech ceramic fluidic restrictors
Movement:
- Mechanical with manual winding, exclusive HYT calibre
- 28,800 Vph, 4 Hz, 35 jewels
- Bridges hand-bevelled and adorned with Côtes de Genève, rhodium-plated bellows
- 65-hour power reserve
Interface:
- Transmission between movement and fluidic module by conversion of rotation into linear movement using a cam-follower system
- Isostatic connection of the fluidic system guaranteed by a trident
Dial:
- Pink gold (5N) dial
- Patinated skull
- Seconds indicator (left eye)
- Power reserve indicator (right eye)
Strap: Matte black alligator, pink gold (5N) ardillon buckle
Product reference: S48-PG-57-NF-RF, limited edition of 50 pieces
HYT Skull 48.8 (Pink Gold and Black DLC Titanium)
Functions:
- Black fluidic hours
- Seconds, power reserve
Case:
- Pink gold (5N) and black DLC titanium
- Diameter: 48.8 mm
- Height: 17.9 mm
- Pink gold (5N) hour bezel
- Black rubber sheathed screw-in black DLC titanium crown
- Black DLC titanium crown guard
- Pink gold (5N) screwed offset lugs
- Black DLC titanium dome
- Domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on the dial side
- Screw-on case back, sapphire crystal
- Water-resistant up to 100 metres
HYT’s exclusive patented micro-fluidic module:
- Two multi-layer metal bellows
- Capillary tube in medical grade glass, with interior nano-coating
- Two immiscible liquids; one transparent and the other coloured with a highly resistant dye
- Thermal compensator with dedicated bellows containing a special liquid
- Ceramic fluid restrictors
Movement:
- Mechanical with manual winding, exclusive HYT calibre
- 28,800 Vph, 4 Hz, 35 jewels
- Bridges hand-bevelled and adorned with Côtes de Genève, rhodium-plated bellows
- 65-hour power reserve
Interface:
- Transmission between movement and fluidic module by conversion of rotation into linear movement using a cam-follower system
- Isostatic connection of the fluidic system guaranteed by a trident
Dial:
- Anthracite grey galvanised coating with microblasted finishes
- Patinated skull
- Seconds indicator (left eye)
- Power reserve indicator (right eye)
Strap: Cognac-coloured patinated leather with black stitching, rubber core, removable cuff, black DLC titanium ardillon buckle
Product reference: S48-DG-57-NF-LM, limited edition of 50 pieces
