Smiths were the only watches worn on the summit of Everest in '53. The proof.

[M4tt]

From whom did Tenzing borrow his Smiths? Rolex didn't "issue" any of their watches to anyone outside of the core (British and NZ) team, and I haven't seen anything from Smiths that would suggest that they did, either. It's possible he had his own, but it's not a given. Surely Smiths would have mentioned it, at some point?

My research suggests that Tenzing had at least two watches - one Rolex given to him by Rolex *after* the event, and another "given ... in Calcutta by the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee." Officially, that Committee wasn't founded until 1966, so it probably refers to the Bengal Provincial Congress Committee, but it's odd that a contemporaneous report would get the names "wrong".

He also told a reporter in Kathmandu that "among his treasured mementos were two wrist watches, one given to him by Gen CG Bruce and another that was`Tenzing's own special wrist-watch made for high altitude climbing'". However, Bruce didn't return to Everest after the 1924 Expedition, so Tenzing must have got it from Bruce somewhere else (Punjab?). As for the other watch, this might be the Rolex gifted to him after the Swiss 1952 Expedition.

It's all quite hard to unpick.

I don't think Rolex issued the watches to anyone. They gave a bunch to the expedition that didn't reach them until Kathmandu and both watches appear to have shared out in an arbitrary manner, leaving some with Smiths, some with Rolex and the senior members of the team with both. If you examine the Rolex given to Hillary by Boseks of Calcutta and compare it to Wylie or any of the other known Everest Rolex, it is quite clear that they are all marked with the same font to the same depth. It could be a coincidence, but it does offer a neat solution to the question of how watches that were not given to individuals ended up personally engraved. It is worth noting that the watches given to the Swiss expedition of the previous year were marked with the logo of the Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research with some being subsequently further engraved and some not.

[Rev-O]

I don't think Rolex issued the watches to anyone. They gave a bunch to the expedition that didn't reach them until Kathmandu and both watches appear to have shared out in an arbitrary manner, leaving some with Smiths, some with Rolex and the senior members of the team with both.

But both companies' invoices state 13 watches, which is one per person of the Hunt team. So in theory all members had both watches.

[M4tt]

But both companies' invoices state 13 watches, which is one per person of the Hunt team. So in theory all members had both watches.

In theory.

However, and for obvious reasons, I spent a ridiculous amount of time on this back when I was researching it. My conclusion then was that the team divided the watches up slightly less evenly. While I have little hard and fast proof, as anyone could have simply not worn a watch, there is a raft of circumstantial evidence of admittedly varying quality. For example, I am quite sure that Pugh had two watches: an Omega used as an experimental tool and a Smiths used for climbing. There is no evidence, either during or after (and his daughter did a good job of memorialising his life) that he had a Rolex. Given that he is now widely seen as the founder of sports science, if there were a Rolex connection, it would have been one Rolex would have been keen on. Both before and during the expedition he was not hugely popular even if his contribution was probably decisive given how unfit the team were.



There are several images and clips of Hunt with a Rolex and a Smiths, Likewise there are clear images of Wylie with both as well as others of the Shipton era core wearing both, or at least, due to image quality in some cases, two watches of the right size. Evans only wears a single watch, a Rolex, while both Lowe and Hillary, both New Zealanders, only ever wear one - and in both cases it appears to be a Smiths.

James Morris, the reporter for the times embedded with the team and explicitly part of it, as part of the sponsorship deal with the Times, appears to be wearing his own watch on the mountain: a military style 35mm (or so) Borgel. While Borgel made a range of cases for everyone from Patek to Doxa, the fact is that the brand that used Borgel cases and was available in India at bargain prices was West End, although both Favre Leuba and Longines were also in the picture in India. The Borgel watches were objectively better than the first generation Rolex and, if I'm honest, if I were climbing Everest, I'd want to be wearing a pre war 32 or 35 mm Taubert Borgel. Obviously a Patek 565 would be just the job, but an Alpina 4 is probably the better watch for reality. However, they were not cheap, even if they were explicitly designed for the job.

Norgay's arrival was a godsend to the team. There were serious tensions in the team on a range of issues and there was even more mishandled tension with the core of high altitude sherpas on which the entire mission was dependent. As an experienced and respected Sirdar, he complemented Wylie's authority and helped resolve the key issues rapidly. At the this point, he was explicitly contracted not to climb terribly high and only in a support role. However, the team were quite explicitly clear that he was needed for a variety of reasons - that his authority would get the best performance from other sherpas - and persuade them to climb in situations where they might choose discretion over valour, that he was familiar with the geography of the upper peak. There had been fine co-operation (and perhaps a little spying) between the Swiss team and the British, with the Swiss using the British observations from 1951 in route planning and the Swiss returning the favour. However, Norgay had unique experience and a proven track record. Getting him onside, and to commit to the endeavour was, quite literally critical to the venture.

As it happened, Norgay was carrying a recovering back injury. Hunt was unaware of the severity of the injury, which had had Norgay laid up in bed for months and completely blown his confidence. However, on the trek to meet the team, Norgay's back had recovered well and so he would have been increasingly ready to negotiate his role and build relations with the new team - which is what happened. Hunt, ever the pragmatist and with his authority still far from cemented, would have gone out of his way to court Norgay - as would Wylie, who knew him well and as a Gurkha officer was effectively the officer to Norgays' RSM. Given Norgay's attitude to watches as trophies, before and after, it's hard to imagine that getting his hands on one of the expedition watches wasn't on his agenda. The fact is that negotiations as to Norgay's exact role and duties carried on up to base camp and Norgay clearly got pretty well everything he wanted. Looking at the photos of his wrist on the approach above and comparing it to Hillary's, it seems clear to me that a Smiths was one of those things.

[Dark Side of The Loon]

The quality of research on this thread is really something else.

[Rev-O]

Given Norgay's attitude to watches as trophies, before and after, it's hard to imagine that getting his hands on one of the expedition watches wasn't on his agenda. The fact is that negotiations as to Norgay's exact role and duties carried on up to base camp and Norgay clearly got pretty well everything he wanted. Looking at the photos of his wrist on the approach above and comparing it to Hillary's, it seems clear to me that a Smiths was one of those things.

This might be obliquely enlightening:

"So again, after Lambert convinced Tenzing to join the British, he now had to make sure Tenzing was wearing a Rolex. I asked her why her husband was so pertinent… She explained to me that Raymond was in full believe Rolex, as genevan based, deserved it to be worn on top of a succesful ascent!

In honor of his friendship Tenzing decided to please Lambert, and did not take the “schmutz” she continued!

At first I thought, what’s a “schmutz”, so I asked her…she said her husband always said it like this to her. As we where talking german, the coin dropped and from “schmut”(German for dirty;)I explained her it was Smith, lol! 🙂"

https://rolexpassionreport.com/919/t...-norgay-rolex/

Stripping out the obvious pro-Rolex slant (and almost pidgin English), such truth as there might be in that could be construed as: "Tenzing had a Smiths but, being a watch snob, didn't rate it." That lends credence to your argument that it was a Smiths. But this involves crediting the source with some degree of accuracy and integrity (do we really believe him at all? I'm not sure I do.)

[M4tt]

This might be obliquely enlightening:

"So again, after Lambert convinced Tenzing to join the British, he now had to make sure Tenzing was wearing a Rolex. I asked her why her husband was so pertinent… She explained to me that Raymond was in full believe Rolex, as genevan based, deserved it to be worn on top of a succesful ascent!

In honor of his friendship Tenzing decided to please Lambert, and did not take the “schmutz” she continued!

At first I thought, what’s a “schmutz”, so I asked her…she said her husband always said it like this to her. As we where talking german, the coin dropped and from “schmut”(German for dirty;)I explained her it was Smith, lol! "

https://rolexpassionreport.com/919/t...-norgay-rolex/

Stripping out the obvious pro-Rolex slant (and almost pidgin English), such truth as there might be in that could be construed as: "Tenzing had a Smiths but, being a watch snob, didn't rate it." That lends credence to your argument that it was a Smiths. But this involves crediting the source with some degree of accuracy and integrity (do we really believe him at all? I'm not sure I do.)

I don't.

Even if I did, there would be a question of exactly where he got it from in the very limited window between Smiths watches being available to the public and climbing Everest.

Even if that wasn't a problem, the fact is that the person who actually convinced Norgay to join the expedition was Jill Henderson, secretary of The Himalayan Club. Perhaps more relevantly, far from Norgay setting off to summit, the historical reality is that he was not even prepared to climb initially; a historical fact evidenced in letters from Henderson to Hunt. For example:

He is looking extremely pulled down at the moment. He is ready to go as far as Camp 3, this means that he will arrange porterage, logs for bridging etc but not to climb

He was recovering from a back injury, troubled by malaria (as he was throughout his life) and probably depressed. Over extended negotiations, Norgay agreed to act as Sirdar, but only if he was made a full member of the climbing team. This was still only about prestige, as his commitment to climbing beyond base camp was only much later - on the mountain - as his health and fitness returned.