HYT Skull Bad Boy Watch Review
HYT, the Swiss practitioner of haute horlogerie, which redefined how we interpret time using fluids to denote hours, has recently launched the HYT Skull Bad Boy. Angus Davies, the self-confessed ‘goody two-shoes’ investigates this fascinating timepiece which exudes a rebellious streak, courtesy of its avant-garde aesthetics.
HYT watch
I would describe myself as a ‘goody two-shoes’, a virtuous soul who always seeks to conform with societal norms. For as long as I can remember, I have always endeavoured to please, seeking to ingratiate myself with parents, teachers, friends, figures of authority, employers etc. However, ‘nice guys’ don’t usually get the girls. Indeed, it is the proverbial ‘bad boy’ who has to bat away numerous female admirers, unable to fulfil their naughty feminine yearnings. Yep, it would appear every girl loves a bad boy.
Skull watches
Now, HYT, one of my favourite independent watch brands, has chosen to reference those ‘ne’er-do-well’ types with its Skull Bad Boy. While all girls adore bad boys, do all boys adore the HYT Skull Bad Boy?
The skull watch has been inextricably linked with horology for centuries. This genre of watch celebrates mortality and its close link with time, reminding the wearer that each passing moment is precious and must be cherished.
HYT revealed its first iteration of the Skull a while ago, offered with a choice of red or green vibrant liquids encircling a stylised depiction of a head. Personally, whilst I applauded the ingenuity employed at the time of the product launch, I was not a huge fan of these early Skull models. This was a surprise as I freely admit to admiring most of the watches bearing those three special letters, HYT.
However, when I was introduced to the HYT Skull Bad Boy, I was immediately mesmerised by its extensive use of the undertaker’s favourite colour, black. Moreover, I found the centrally positioned head truly fascinating, courtesy of its mottled, two-tone surface composed of grey and black shades. Like the aforementioned females, I was quite taken with the Bad Boy and readily fell for its nonconformist charms.
HYT Skull Bad Boy dial
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 i.e. 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 affect 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.
HYT Skull Bad Boy case
The case of the Skull Bad Boy is formed of black DLC titanium, featuring a microblasted finish. Not only is this watch a bad boy, it is also a big boy, a very big boy. The case measures 51 mm in diameter with a thickness of 17.9 mm. Courtesy of its titanium husk, the resultant mass of this behemoth timepiece is not excessive. Furthermore, its size does not prove an issue thanks in part to the location of the rubber coated screw-down crown at 2 o’clock. Indeed, despite my persistent efforts, I could not induce the crown to gouge my wrist or in anyway chafe my arm.
Another reason for the agreeable level of comfort granted by the case can be attributed to the short lugs which direct the strap on a downward trajectory at the earliest opportunity, to readily encircle the wrist.
Holding a loupe in hand, I repeatedly found pockets of charm. For instance, the lugs feature small recesses on their outer, vertical flanks. It may be a small detail, but it is these little episodes of joy which heighten ownership enjoyment.
The convex sapphire crystal, despite featuring anti-reflective coating on its inner surface, does occasionally create areas of greyish-white tint. On many watches, I would describe this as a minor irritation, but on this timepiece, it seems to augment the sense of mystery a little like a dancer surrounded by a sea of dry ice.
The screw-down caseback features a pane of sapphire crystal, affording views of the hand-wound, ‘exclusive HYT calibre’.
HYT Calibre 101
The manual movement powering the Skull Bad Boy will be familiar to fellow HYT devotees. It is the same ‘exclusive HYT calibre’ found in the H1, including the H1 Alumen Blue and my favourite timepiece from the brand, the H1 Iceberg.
Those readers who are unfamiliar with the virtue of HYT’s timepieces can read my previous articles to discover the minutiae relating to the rhodium-plated bellows pumps and associated reservoirs.
In the last few years, I have been invited to talk about fine watchmaking and haute horlogerie at various events. During these presentations, I inevitably end up discussing HYT and showing the assembled guests various images of the brand’s models, explaining the concept of indicating time using fluids. I have yet to see anyone who looks anything less than amazed.
However, despite the modernity of HYT’s products and their jaw-dropping flamboyance, the maison has never abandoned the ideals of traditional Swiss watchmaking craftsmanship. For example, look closely at the movement within the Skull Bad Boy and you will discover glorious hand-bevelled bridges, adorned with Côtes de Genève motif. Whilst HYT exhibits an almost playful persona with some of its designs, daring to take risks, do not fooled. This is a serious watch company, crafting haute horlogerie creations par excellence.
HYT Skull Bad Boy – closing remarks
The HYT Skull Bad Boy, unsurprisingly, is a rule breaker, a rebel and non-conformist. This aptly named creation does not subscribe to the mainstream, it treads its very own anarchic path. The dial is not the easiest to read and the case is likely to prove too large for some prospective purchasers. Nevertheless, this does not matter.
The Skull Bad Boy delivers something new, fresh and exciting. It represents a blend of horology and art. Would-be buyers are unlikely to own merely one watch at this level of the market, potential buyers will probably own several watches. If you wish to measure small units of time, then HYT offer alternative watches, better suited to daily wear. However, if you wish to engage with the philosophical notion of time, mortality and the value life confers, then an HYT Skull Bad Boy may well be for you.
And so, I return to my original question, ‘While all girls adore bad boys, do all boys adore the HYT Skull Bad Boy?’ Well, I can’t answer for all boys, but I, for one, would love to don a leather jacket, mount a Harley Davidson and ride off into the sunset with the HYT Skull Bad Boy clad to my wrist.
Technical specification
- Model: HYT Skull Bad Boy
- Reference: 151-DL-43-NF-AS
- Case: Black DLC titanium; diameter 51 mm; height 17.9 mm; sapphire crystal to front and caseback.
- Functions: Black retrograde fluidic hours, seconds; power-reserve indicator
- Movement: Exclusive HYT Calibre, hand-wound movement; frequency 28,800 vph (4 Hz); 35 jewels; power reserve 65 hours
- Strap: ‘Buffed slate grey alligator strap, velcro clasp with keeper’
- Price: £70,000 (RRP as of 1.9.2016)
- Limited Edition: 50 pieces