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

[Rev-O]

A thought occurred to me while reading Hillary's account of reaching the summit and his use of the word "carried" ("I carried your watch") rather than the more common "wore" or even "took".

Here's the chapter he wrote in Hunt's book:

"I had carried [sic] my camera, loaded with colour film, inside my shirt to keep it warm, so I now produced it and got Tenzing to pose on top for me, waving his axe on which was string of flags -- United Nations, British, Nepalese and Indian [....] I had a lot of difficulty in holding the camera steady in my clumsy gloves."

I wonder if he "carried" the watch in a shirt or pocket or even attached to the camera. This would keep it warm and be more accessible than looking under thick gloves or mittens.

P.S. even if Norgay was wearing a Rolex we know that Hillary was first on to the summit.

How? Because in his 1955 autobiography ('Tiger of the Snows') Norgay said so:

"A little below the summit Hillary and I stopped. We looked up. Then we went on. The rope that joined us was thirty feet long, but I held most of it in loops in my hand, there was only six feet between us. I was not thinking of “first” and “second”. I did not say to myself, “There is a golden apple up there. I will push Hillary aside and run for it.” We went on slowly, steadily. And then we were there. Hillary stepped on top first. And I stepped up after him.”

And this:

"In an interview with Scotland on Sunday for the 50th anniversary in 2003, Hillary explained what had happened: “We set off at 6.30am, first light, me in the lead, Tenzing behind on a tight rope. We never discussed who would be first up. It really did not matter to me, as the entire expedition was very much a team affair, but I suspect Tenzing was quite deferential to what he saw as the Sahib. So I got to the top first, with him just 10ft or so behind.”

Lots have watches have been to the top but Smiths was the first. Maybe Rolex was second by a few seconds. Maybe not. But Smiths was first.

[Tatters]

The "Rolex on Everest" bandwagon continues in yesterday's (10 April 2021) Telegraph newspaper, which has a "Telegraph Time" advertorial:

Rolex dubbed the line 'Explorer' because the original is based on the timepieces supplied to the team ascending Everest in 1953. Rolex has always associated itself with those who achieve feats of derring-do and the expedition led by Col. John Hunt, which included Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary, who reached the summit on 29 May 1953, proved that the Rolex Oyster could survive one of the world's toughest challenges.

This piece pointedly does not claim that Rolexes were the first watches on the summit of Everest, or even that anyone on the expedition was actually wearing Rolexes, although the implication is strong.

[M1011]

The "Rolex on Everest" bandwagon continues in yesterday's (10 April 2021) Telegraph newspaper, which has a "Telegraph Time" advertorial:

This piece pointedly does not claim that Rolexes were the first watches on the summit of Everest, or even that anyone on the expedition was actually wearing Rolexes, although the implication is strong.

Seems to me it was a fair quote and avoided any untruths. Whomever wrote it must have done some reading.

[ryanb741]

Somehow Bremont are going to create a tenuous link to the Everest expedition and release a limited edition of generic 7750 movement chronographs at ten grand each with a small piece of the lining of a Sherpa's coat on the rotor.

[Rev-O]

Somehow Bremont are going to create a tenuous link to the Everest expedition and release a limited edition of generic 7750 movement chronographs at ten grand each with a small piece of the lining of a Sherpa's coat on the rotor.

You might want to look at how that ended for Kobold.

[Rev-O]

Perezcope's perciope here gives Smiths due credit.

The word is spreading, despite Rolex's mendaciousness