« Some people offer flowers, some people offer cakes at birthday. We thought we’d develop a new H4 for Russell ».
HYT and Russell Coutts are not only partners. Since 2015 the creator of the RC44 mono hull is present on all the seas hoisting their synergies for all to see. HYT is the only hydro mechanical watch and the natural partner for this monohull that is so prestigious that it has its own RC44 Championship Tour.
It is the 10 year anniversary of these races that HYT would like to hail. The RC44 Class was born in 2006 and recognised by the International Sailing Federation, the RC44 Class had teams participating in the RC44 Championship Tour from 2007 onwards. The competition is known as one of the most difficult but also as one of the friendliest and it is this spirit of endurance and comradery that HYT would like to pay tribute to in particular.
A case built like a monohull
The new H4 RC44 unites all the maritime codes of this race: blue liquid, technical design, the same colour codes of the regatta and an ultra-light carbon case like the RC44’s hull. And the last detail that we will only see at HYT: A seconds wheel that emulates the golden bar that the mono hull raises when it is winning.
In terms of finishing, the H4 RC44 is in skeletonised mode. A transparent sapphire disc displays the minutes with a central black minute hand. At 2pm the dial also hosts the power reserve indicator that is divided into 4 segments and displays the 65 hours of autonomy.
The translucent capillary travels around the exterior of the watch hosting a deep blue liquid, a first for the H4 collection and evocative of the blue of the sea. HYT ensured that the H4 RC44 remains highly visible at night due to a luminescent coating of Super Lumi Nova® under the capillary that indicates the hour’s path and that shines brightly in the dark.
A piece designed with the same sense of harmony and the same drive for performance
The grey anthracite tones of the carbon case are found again in the bezel that displays the titanium DLC insignia at 6pm, emblematic of HYT. The crown is made of the same DLC and sheathed in rubber. Its screw down mechanism ensures it remains waterproof at 50 meters.
The RC44’s strap received the same attention. It is made of NOMEX, a high performance synthetic fibre designed to be used in extreme conditions. Composed of Kelvar fibres, NOMEX can be found in certain sailing hulls and used particularly for its ability to form highly resistant honeycomb structures.
10 years ago the RC44 Series didn’t exist and neither did HYT. Working completely independently both projects have forged new paths, introduced new models using new technologies that go above and beyond previously defined limits. The H4 RC44 pays perfect homage to this pioneering philosophy.
