Laurent Picciotto and the HYT H4 Metropolis Turn off the Lights in Paris

Even if you don’t live in Paris, chances are you know, or know of, Laurent Picciotto, the colourful owner of Chronopassion on rue Saint-Honoré in the French capital. You’ve seen him at the GPHG, at the SIHH, at Baselworld, and at probably every other haute meeting place for watchmakers, retailers, collectors, media and other enthusiasts.

Mutual admirers and friends who share an extreme passion for exceptional and innovative horology, Laurent Picciotto and the equally driven Vincent Perriard, HYT board member & co-founder of HYT – The Hydro Mechanical Horologists, have “been partners from the start” of the HYT adventure that began in 2012 with the HYT H1 that won the Innovation Watch Prize at the GPHG that same year.

Both can attest, after their considerable number of years dealing with some of the most exciting and innovative brands in the world, just how tough, competitive and serious the watch industry is. And each in his own domain has proven that it is passion and a creative spirit that push the boundaries.   Choosing to combine this with a touch of fun, their promotional campaigns also dare to go over the edge, treating €90,000 pieces of Hydro Mechanical Horology with humour and hyperbole.

So it was with pleasure that, following their “Dr. Picciotto” / Frankenstein and the HY3 video, their latest 29”video entitled “Turn Off the Lights” came our way.

It concerns the HYT H4 Metropolis, that we introduced to you in detail last November 1^st, after a personal presentation from Vincent Perriard himself who came to Paris to show us the new system that converts mechanical power into light energy using a hidden generator.

In addition to the already ingenious hydro mechanical properties created and developed by HYT, and based on the same movement architecture as the H1, completely skeletonized, the H4 Metropolis features a push-piece at 4:30 that first winds a generator, then activates 2 LEDs concealed under a rider at 6 o’clock to diffuse a soft blue light all over the dial, showing off that gorgeous mechanism while energizing the green liquid in the capillary tube that marks the hour, allowing you to easily read the time in the dark, without a battery. All housed in a 51 mm titanium and DLC case, with a power reserve of 65 hours.

And to show off the powerful light of the timepiece, leave it to Laurent Picciotto, in his inimitable playful manner, to switch off the lights of The City of Light for our viewing delight.