Lip Himalaya x Marcel Livet automatic silver dial leather strap 40 mm

The short story

In the context of the end of the Second World War, while life resumed its course in France, the conquest of the Himalayas initiated in the 1930s resumed with intensity. The competition is strong between the European nations. Everest was reserved for the British until 1953, for diplomatic reasons and for their significant commitment to the conquest of this summit for many years already.

France was then looking at peaks over 8000m in altitude, until then never climbed. In 1950, the second French expedition to the Himalayas, the expedition led by Maurice Herzog, succeeded in the Annapurna, and thus became the first nation to conquer a peak of more than 8000m in altitude.

The following year, 1951, the 3rd French expedition to the Himalayas organized by Marcel Livet was constrained by diplomatic hazards. The borders of Tibet and Nepal would remain closed to French climbers. The expedition reorganizes and finally turns to the Garhwal Massif, accessible from India, and its main peak, the Nanda Devi which culminates at 7820 m of altitude.

A historical collection related to mountaineering

Sobriety, elegance and performance are brought together through this iconic model signed by LIP. As early as the 1950s, Fred Lip's Himalaya seduced the French watchmaking world with its resistance and reliability. Indeed, LIP was the only watchmaking company able to propose timepieces strong enough to resist to the climatic conditions encountered "on the roof of the world". Fred LIP's passion for the mountains would therefore lead him to sponsor all French expeditions to the Himalayas, offering each mountaineer a precious watch before departure.

A faithful reproduction with timeless elegance

On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the expedition, the two brands MARCEL LIVET and LIP are reunited for a collaboration. Passionate about this shared history, the two houses offer a historical reproduction inspired by the watch that accompanied the climbers to the summit of the Nanda Devi, at an altitude of nearly 7,800 m.

The polished steel case expresses itself in 40 mm diameter on your wrist while the smooth brown cowhide leather strap provides a comfortable fit in all circumstances. The piece features the openworked hands in rose gold PVD, a specificity of this unique watch, as well as a dial worked with soleillage in the center and sandblasted on the outside. To emphasize the historical character of this piece, the brand has chosen to use the LIP logo from the 1950s. This dial is embellished with Arabic numerals and pink indexes as well as a railway and a date window at 3 o'clock to offer you an optimal reading of the time. To get as close as possible to the appearance of the original model, there is a 24-hour counter at 6 o'clock to replace the historical small seconds. The whole is protected by a domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment.

This watch is therefore meant to be a perfect tribute to the extraordinary adventure of a team of entrepreneurial mountaineers, which cost the lives of the two mountaineers, Roger Duplat and Gilbert Vignes, who disappeared on June 29, 1951 at the summit of the Nanda Devi.

A Mioyta Series 9 automatic caliber

This reference 670028 is powered by a Japanese automatic caliber manufactured by Miyota: the 9132. Visible through its transparent back, this Series 9 caliber is equipped with a high-frequency balance spring, operating at 28,800 vibrations per hour. More precise and more fluid in the movement of the seconds hand than the rest of Miyota's movements, it is also more difficult to adjust and requires the work of specially trained watchmakers for assembly and adjustment. With a power reserve of 40 hours, the barrel spring of the Series 9 calibers is wound by means of a bidirectional oscillating weight.

On this caliber 9132, there is a date complication as well as a 24-hour display present at 6 o'clock. It is intended to be reliable, precise and high-performance!