You might scoff at spending $US16,500 on a relatively boring watch that’s crafted from a chunk of rock brought down from Everest’s summit. But when you consider an expedition up the world’s tallest mountain can cost as much as $US83,000, this timepiece actually becomes a slightly more affordable way to sort of visit the top of the world.
Handcrafted in Nepal, the chunk of Everest used in Kobold’s Himalaya Everest Edition watch was actually brought down the mountain by watchmaker Michael Kobold and explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes back in 2009. But it took two years for a German company to cut and polish the rock into the 7mm thick discs used as the watches’ faces to ensure they were all structurally sound and wouldn’t crack. So if you and 24 others have always fantasised about visiting Everest, this timepiece can bring the mountain to you.