Lip Himalaya Calendar Automatic blue dial steel bracelet 40 mm

The story

In the context of the end of the Second World War, as life returns to normal in France, the conquest of the Himalayas initiated in the 1930s resumes with intensity. Competition was fierce between European nations. Everest was reserved for the English until 1953, for diplomatic reasons and because they had already been heavily involved in the conquest of this peak for many years.

France then set its sights on peaks over 8,000m in altitude, never before climbed. In 1950, the second French expedition to the Himalayas, the expedition led by Maurice Herzog, succeeded in climbing Annapurna, and thus became the first nation to conquer a peak over 8000m in altitude.

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

A historic collection linked to mountaineering

Sobriety, elegance and performance come together through this emblematic 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 watchmaker to offer timepieces strong enough to withstand the climatic conditions encountered "on the roof of the world". Fred LIP's passion for the mountains would thus drive him to sponsor all French expeditions to the Himalayas, giving each mountaineer a precious watch before departure.

An elegant calendar model

The polished-satin steel case expresses itself at 40 mm in diameter on your wrist, while the 5-mesh brushed steel bracelet provides a comfortable hold in all circumstances. The piece features white leaf hands, which run across a blue matte dial with silver-white "sub-counters". The dial is embellished with Arabic numerals and a white railway track for optimal time reading. The whole is protected by a domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment.

A Mioyta 9 series automatic caliber

This reference 671709 is powered by a Japanese automatic caliber made by Miyota: the 9122. Visible through its transparent caseback, 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 set, requiring the work of specially trained watchmakers for assembly and adjustment. Featuring a 40-hour power reserve, the barrel spring of Series 9 calibers is wound thanks to a bidirectional oscillating weight.

On this caliber 9122, we find a day / month complication in a bi-compax layout, with a date window present at 6 o'clock. It aims to be reliable, precise and high-performing!