Model: Smiths Everest Small Seconds c. 1960s
Year: 1960s
Features:
The History. In 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first people to successfully summit Mt Everest. In an era that still had uncharted lands for brave explorers to conquer, climbing Everest was arguably the pinnacle. It was nothing short of a globally monumental event, and with every newspaper around the world dedicating tomorrow’s front page to the climb, the marketing possibilities were endless.
The Myth. Up steps Rolex. Because upon Sir Edmund Hillary’s wrist was a Rolex Oyster Perpetual. Marketing departments couldn’t dream up a better opportunity, and they certainly didn’t hesitate. Rolex took out adverts, gave interviews and even released its first, and now iconic, Explorer watch in honour of the ascent. But who can blame them for basking in the well-earned glory?
Except, Sir Edmund Hillary wasn’t wearing a Rolex.
He was wearing a Smiths.
The Apology. Despite buying a front-page advert in The Times congratulating itself on reaching the summit of Everest, R. A. Winter, the director of Rolex UK, later conceded the achievement to Smiths in an open letter published in the BHI Horological Journal, saying "Sir Edmund Hillary was in fact only wearing one watch at the summit [...]. We congratulate Smiths on the fact that their Smiths de Luxe ordinary wind wrist watch reached the summit with Sir Edmund Hillary".
The Real History. The 9k gold watch on offer today was produced a few years after the climb - but unlike the Rolex Explorer it should be viewed as the true commemorative Everest watch. And despite the lengthy yarn spun above, this specific example has its own tale to tell. Turn the watch over, and the commemorative Everest watch is commemorating something else entirely.
The Provenance. Now that I bring it up, there are three core J14070 variants to choose from. The Printed Logo is the rarest thanks to its short production time. The Carved Logo appeared at roughly the same time as the Printed but had a longer run. The Raised Logo, on offer today, eventually replaced the Carved style and was the logo style of choice until production ended for the model.
The Caseback. Appreciation for H Watkiss’ 25 years of service at Kearney & Trecker - CVA Ltd
I wouldn’t normally investigate a caseback inscription, but seeing a distinctly British-sounding name on a watch at an auction in Japan caught my attention. And thanks to England’s stellar record keeping, I was able to track down the original owner. CVA Ltd was the UK arm of a US-UK merger between two automated tool makers. Harry Watkiss, born in 1918 in Brighton, where CVA was based, celebrated his 25th year at the company in the early 1960s with this golden Smiths Everest.
The Man. He passed away in Brighton in 1992 and, as far as I can tell, had no personal connection to this side of the world. Quite how his watch ended up in Japan is currently a mystery - and one I’m unlikely to be able to solve. But if you do decide to acquire it, you’ll have the honour of contributing to the next chapter of this surprisingly storied timepiece.
Specifications:
Condition: In good condition overall. Just serviced. Lots of marks and signs of aging, but nothing unexpected from a watch this old.
Scope: No box or papers
Movement: In-house 15 jewel Smiths Calibre
Dimensions:
- Case Width: 32.0mm
- Lug to Lug: 37.7mm
- Case Thickness: 10.2mm
- Lug Width: 16mm
