As unique as a rainbow, the new HYT Hastroid Rainbow is an exclusive creation. To perfect the rainbow colouring on its dial, HYT called upon one of the most exacting of modern artisanal techniques, known as Techno Art. A new challenge combining exceptional skills and vision for the future of Haute Horlogerie. HYT watches have made the focal point of this piece the outer edge of the dial and the heart of the exclusive fluid module with its retrograde hours’ display. The colouring is the focus and this serves two purposes: firstly, it creates a stunning decorative effect; secondly, it takes on a technical dimension by enhancing the legibility of the display.

By nature, each of the fifteen Hastroid Rainbow timepieces will be unique and exclusive, as they are the fruit of meticulous work by artisans skilled in an art technique which requires inordinate dexterity. In addition to the precision required in this work carried out by hand, there is also the technical expertise involved in cutting entirely using a laser. The grille onto which the colours are applied is coloured using tinted Zapon lacquer. Zapon is a premium single-component lacquer mainly used to provide long-term protection for dials which have undergone galvanic treatment. Applying the lacquer using a pressurised process requires great skill. In the specific case of the Rainbow grille, a white base varnish was needed to obtain the required brightness. Only then could the pure dyes be sprayed on, by hand, in several very thin layers, each no more than 2 to 3 microns thick.

Consequently, the dial on each of the 15 pieces in the Hastroid Rainbow Limited Edition collection is worked on individually by hand by Yan Patriarca, the lacquering expert at MD’Art SA. In the words of this specialist in the art:

"Depending on the desired final effect, it is possible to change this product by giving it a satin-finished or a mat look, tinting it translucently using dyes, pigments or even with flakes of metal or mother of pearl. It takes great precision and lots of patience to create the colour gradient effect. The aim is to create some visual magic, so that the colour change is imperceptible; so the eye can't detect where one shade ends and the next begins" Yan Patriarca explains, and the next step is to apply a layer of clear Zapon over the entire grille to protect the finished work and to protect it in the long term."

It should be noted that the fluid contained in the capillary tube is black and, when it moves around the colored dial, it gives the impression that it is tinted in the shade assigned to each time slot. The effect is therefore constantly changing and serves as a modern poetic reminder of the ephemeral nature of the phenomenon of rainbows which are created, scientifically speaking, when the mechanics of water meets the Sun as the source of light energy. The minute track, with its graduated scale to follow the progress of the fluidic retrograde hours’ indicator, is also colored in a special bright shade of purple.

As on other versions of the Hastroid model, a great deal of work has gone into the dial to enhance its legibility; it, therefore, features a large central hand with a refined design to enable the minutes to be read at a glance. This hand is also colored purple to match perfectly. Further key information is given on the two flight instrument-inspired subdials: a small second on the one hand and the power reserve on the other. Coated in Lumicast, these hands are black and red for improved legibility.

The relief hour numerals are also luminescent, thanks to their Lumicast coating which enables them to continue their rainbow magic in the dark. Watchmaking expertise is therefore able to create a phenomenon not possible in nature. The Hastroid Rainbow is an iconic model featuring all the brand's technical and aesthetic DNA. Made from multi-layer carbon fiber with a profile in matte black DLC-coated titanium, its case measures 48 mm in diameter, 52.3 mm in length, and 17.20 mm thick. The remarkable construction of the case achieved by superimposing adjusted and assembled elements was a feat of great precision. The crown is also made from black-coated titanium. The assembly is waterproof to 30 meters and the mechanical movement is protected by a central titanium case.

Sticker Price TBC. For more info on HYT click here.