Watch manufacturers continue to push the limits of engineering, and one of their latest innovations is hybrid mechanical fluidic technology, which provides a number of benefits to high end timepieces and those that can afford them.

How does it Work?

To understand the power of this technology, you must first inspect the crystal backing of a watch that uses it. What you’ll notice is separation between the classical watch movement (which is usually at the top) and the southern end, which uses a fluidic module that is comprised of dual bellows developed by NASA, along with a capillary that is liquid filled with varying densities which prevents them from mixing. While one liquid tends to be transparent, the other will manifest a single color.

Initially, most of these watches had a liquid green color but newer models are offering multiple color options. A miniature piston above one bellow will act as an interface between fluidic technology and the watch movement. This piston will get the energy transmitted by the watch movement for compressing the bellow which is active. Once this occurs, the colorful liquid will be released inside the capillary at which point it will press the transparent liquid back inside its respective bellow, similar to pumping systems.

Once this colored liquid obtains six pm, all its liquid will return to a bellow in under sixty seconds, after which the process will begin again. The liquid time will indicate hours, while its mechanical dial will indicate seconds. Depending on the model you purchase, it will provide a power reserve of eight days, but because it is a mechanical watch, it will still require interaction from the wearer to ensure its wound.

What are The Advantages of Hybrid Mechanical Fluidic Technology?

As you might expect, this technology was first pioneered by the Swiss. It introduces a fresh horology concept where classical mechanics is combined with liquid inside the designer watch. While its technical aspects are cutting edge, it is actually based on technology that was developed in Ancient Egypt more than three thousand years ago.

At the time, the Egyptians used clepsydras, which were a type of water clock. Swiss watchmakers took this ancient concept and modernized it within a much smaller frame. Its main advantage is that merging fluid mechanics with classical watch making results in exclusive and highly precise timekeeping. These watches are able to defy gravity while showcasing time using liquid inside a mechanical structure, the first of its kind.

Their fluid mechanics operate based on hydraulic pressure. The engineers had to create liquids that would follow a specific set of specifications. Things such as homogenous texture, temperature changes, shocks and color had to be taken into consideration. Once the loaded fluorescein liquid completes a full round and reaches 06:00 to 18:00, its issuing pump will compress. This in turn will cause its bellow receiver to expand, which creates resistance and subsequently a higher energy requirement. This means that the bellows have to be made from an alloy which is extremely fine that are both supple and resistant.