Smiths De Luxe Wristwatch Worn by Sir Edmund Hillary on His Ascent of Mount Everest 1953
- Made:
- 1953 in Cheltenham
This image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Licence
The Clockmakers' Museum/Clarissa Bruce
© The Clockmakers’ Charity
Wristwatch by Smiths English Clocks Ltd, Cheltenham, England, 1953. Steel waterproof case by the Dennison Watch Case Co, marked on the back 'AQUATITE, DENISTEEL BACK, 73359, CASE MADE IN ENGLAND' around 'DQ' in the centre. Silvered dial with Arabic numerals in luminous paint, and a subsidiary seconds dial at six o'clock. Signed ‘Smiths De Luxe' below twelve o'clock, and 'made in England' below the subsidiary dial. 15 jewel lever-escapement movement.
Sir Edmund Hillary wore this watch during his successful climb to the summit of Mount Everest, May 29th 1953. He presented it in person to the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers in the same year, having reported back to Smiths that the watch had performed very well. This particular watch had been prepared by Smiths with a special lubricant to withstand low temperatures.
Clockmakers' Museum No. 515
Details
- Category:
- Clockmakers
- Collection:
- The Worshipful Company of Clockmakers
- Object Number:
- L2015-3409
- Materials:
- stainless steel, leather, silvered brass, brass (copper, zinc alloy), steel (metal) and glass
- type:
- wristwatch and lever movement
- credit:
- Lent by the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers
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