In 1953, the not-yet-Sir Edmund Hillary became the first man to summit Mount Everest along with expedition partner Tenzing Norgay. And he did so with a Rolex on his wrist, an Oyster Perpetual that would prove to be the ancestor of the Explorer. While browsing the Beyer Watch and Clock Museum in Zürich, I suddenly found myself face-to-face with this legendary watch and knew I had to share it with all of you.
This watch was produced in 1950 and was never purchased commercially. Rolex was one of the sponsors of the 1953 Everest Expedition – only one expedition was allowed each year by the Nepalese government – and part of this sponsorship included providing Hillary with this watch. It was not a gift, but rather a watch for Hillary to wear during the expedition and then to return to Rolex for extensive testing after the descent. And that is exactly what happened.
Rolex watches are crafted from the finest raw materials and assembled with scrupulous attention to detail.
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