Convincing Tribe...

[Matt]

Acclimatising at Tengboche - looking steel on Bonkilp to me (and tantalisingly familiar...)




Leaving the South Col the day before the assault - still looking steel and Bonklip


And another at the same time just to really make the point:




Relaxing on the trek back to civilisation - still silver on Bonklip



Surely that's enough?

Because if it isn't -here's the smoking gun:



Convinced yet?

[tribe125]

Let me see if I can remember my ‘O’ level Logic -

In May 1953, Tenzing, owned one grey watch - a Smiths.
Colour photos from the Everest expedition show him wearing a grey watch.
Tenzing’s Everest expedition watch was a Smiths.

In addition, Tenzing owned a gold Rolex given to him a year earlier by Rolex. Photographs appear to show Tenzing wearing one watch, not two.

Further still, Rolex conceded, in 1953, that Hillary wore a Smiths to the top of Everest. There is documentary evidence of this in a letter from Rolex to the British Horological Journal. Rolex has subsequently not stated that Hillary wore a Rolex on his ascent. Instead, Rolex has spoken of supplying the expedition, stopping just short of mentioning the ascent. Equally, Rolex has not stated that Tenzing wore a Rolex on the ascent.

Many Rolex enthusiasts once believed that Hillary and Tenzing wore Rolexes on the ascent. Most of those enthusiasts subsequently accepted that Hillary wore a Smiths. Today, it seems highly likely that both Hillary and Tenzing were wearing Smiths watches on the ascent of Everest. It is unlikely that Tenzing was also wearing a Rolex.


How’s that?

[Matt]

Let me see if I can remember my ‘O’ level Logic -

In May 1953, Tenzing, owned one grey watch - a Smiths.
Colour photos from the Everest expedition show him wearing a grey watch.
Tenzing’s Everest expedition watch was a Smiths.

In addition, Tenzing owned a gold Rolex given to him a year earlier by Rolex. Photographs appear to show Tenzing wearing one watch, not two.

Further still, Rolex conceded, in 1953, that Hillary wore a Smiths to the top of Everest. There is documentary evidence of this in a letter from Rolex to the British Horological Journal. Rolex has subsequently not stated that Hillary wore a Rolex on his ascent. Instead, Rolex has spoken of supplying the expedition, stopping just short of mentioning the ascent. Equally, Rolex has not stated that Tenzing wore a Rolex on the ascent.

Many Rolex enthusiasts once believed that Hillary and Tenzing wore Rolexes on the ascent. Most of those enthusiasts subsequently accepted that Hillary wore a Smiths. Today, it seems highly likely that both Hillary and Tenzing were wearing Smiths watches on the ascent of Everest. It is unlikely that Tenzing was also wearing a Rolex.


How’s that?

That sounds like a man who is dangerously close to convinced. It's also worth noting that while Tenzing ended up in the final assault, he was only hired as the Sherpas' Sirdar and even then wasn't expected to do much as he had been recovering from a long illness. Now go and tell them that!

To be fair, it's clear from other photos that Tenzing owned a couple of other watches but none the right size and shape. I don't know if you saw, but after checking every single bamboo bracelet I could find in my boxes of rubbish, I found one that was the perfect fit - the in house West End Watch one. It's pretty clear that, post war, he owned a Taubert cased West End Watch, from which he robbed the bracelet. Like Bonklip, if you set them up just right, you can peel them off one watch and onto another in seconds and still have a perfectly secure strap. In other words, there's a reasonable chance he arrived wearing his ex service WEW and swapped bracelets with the Smiths when he was given it! That means that along side the Omega, Rolex and Smiths, there's a chance that there was a West End Watch there too!

[tribe125]

You don’t need my help, Matt - and I only post here.

I do think the colour photos are your best and most concise argument, though. People can debate lug shapes in a less than sharp picture, but it’s hard to argue that grey is yellow.

[tribe125]

Ah, you’ve edited...

but yes, I have noted the supporting evidence of the bracelet.

[Matt]

You don’t need my help, Matt - and I only post here.

I do think the colour photos are your best and most concise argument, though. People can debate lug shapes in a less than sharp picture, but it’s hard to argue that grey is yellow.

That's fair enough, it's an odd environment there I concede.

I thought that the clear brushed effect was pretty effective too: if there's one thing you can rely on Rolex for it's a shiny case side and lugs. Mind you, the moment you bring up Rolex it really is like arguing about religion...

[tribe125]

the moment you bring up Rolex it really is like arguing about religion...

It’s exactly like that. Personally, I have no faith in faith, even when associated with a top-class deity like Rolex.

[Matt]

It’s exactly like that. Personally, I have no faith in faith, even when associated with a top-class deity like Rolex.

Well, after four days of colliding with a lot of it, I think my daughter agrees with you. Mind you, my mother in law is no longer talking to me, mostly because she thinks I'm not strict enough with my daughter.

[Seriously]

and here's me thinking that this thread was about Matt convincing Mr Tribe to sell him the Smiths watch....................................

[Matt]

and here's me thinking that this thread was about Matt convincing Mr Tribe to sell him the Smiths watch....................................

Don't knock it, it worked!



Cheers Mr Tribe!

Now about that Hawkinge...