Jörg Hysek and Fabrice Gonet founded progressive watch brand Slyde. Both of these dynamic personalities have gained extensive experience in the industry and have worked for many renowned watch companies. Jörg’s creative input has been pivotal in the design of many projects for TAG Heuer, Ebel, Dunhill, Breguet and Cartier. Fabrice initially served his apprenticeship at Piaget then progressed to collaborations with Damani and RJ Romain Jerome.
In 2005 they formed the company HD3, which specialised in the production of highly complicated mechanical watches including the tremendous Biaxial Tourbillon. This formidable timepiece initially was devised as a concept watch and due to its popularity they produced a limited edition of 11. Not surprisingly the watch was very quick to sell out even with a price tag of $400,000. In 2011 the brand went in a completely different direction inventing the wonderful Slyde series of watches. The magnificent Slyde Sport is the latest addition to the increasingly popular range.
Recently a lot more watch companies are embracing modern technology, which I feel is definitely beneficial to the industry. At first glance it is clearly apparent that the Slyde Sport is a colossal watch measuring an imposing 57,84mm x 47,71mm x 17,53mm. I have tried on other timepieces in the range so I would imagine this piece would be very comfortable to wear. Ultimately this is down to the sleek contoured design and the use of high performance stainless steel in production. Realistically the watches’ huge dimensions and futuristic looks won’t appeal to everyone. Personally I was seduced by its modern exterior and the overall quality of the timepiece. I can envisage this piece looking really cool sported with a polo shirt and jeans.
Currently there are three different Slyde Sport watches in the range. They all have sleek black matt PVD coating and natural steel lugs with different colour inserts to distinguish them. Fundamentally the design of the case is pretty minimalistic with only a few small power indicator buttons on the right hand side. At this stage of the article I would normally describe the aesthetics of the dial. In this instance the face is black until the touchscreen is activated. The really cool thing about the timepiece is the choice of engines available to upload from the company’s website. This effectively gives the user numerous dial options within one watch. I love the resolution of the graphics and the astonishing attention to detail. It is pertinent to mention that this particular series of watches are only currently available with Flipclock, Roller and Sport engines in coordinating colours.
The company has equipped the watch with a state of the art electronic movement that incorporates all the latest technology. A 3,8V lithium polymer battery powers all this micro engineering. The timepiece also has a USB connector, (to download software and recharge) which is compatible with PCs or MACs. Functionally the possibilities are endless with this awesome watch and exceptionally easy operate via the ingenious navigation system.
The Slyde Sport is presented with a stylish leather strap and is limited to 500 of each edition. The watch will be available from September 2013 at a suggested retail price of: 6,750CHF (approximately $7,220)
