Time is never only seconds, and a peak is never only height.
They hold every endeavor, every pursuit of our own limits. Everest has long stood as the ultimate test of that
pursuit — high, harsh, and seemingly beyond reach.

In 1953, Mount Everest still reigned as the last unconquered summit. For decades, it had defied every attempt, with relentless storms, shifting avalanches, and air so thin it stole the breath from climbers.

Yet on May 29, Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay of Nepal broke through the impossible. In the early morning, the final push began from their camp at nearly 28,000 feet. Step by step, in a realm where survival itself was uncertain, they climbed into history.

At 11:30 a.m., they stood upon the highest point on Earth—29,029 feet above sea level, higher than any human had ever reached. Their triumph was not of one man or one nation, but of humanity itself: proof that courage, perseverance, and unity can drive us beyond the limits of fear.

Raw Nature
Meets True Spirit

The story of this creation begins at the mountain’s very foothills. Through biting winds and thin air, Jiang Xin, CIGA design's chief designer, retraced the climbers’ path to Everest, gathering fragments of its bedrock, later refined into the dial. Never was stone a common choice—fragile, stubborn to shape, and near impossible to obtain at such altitude. Yet what was once raw rock now embodies endurance, carried into the watch, to forge a lasting bond between the summit and its wearer.

Fragments undergo cutting and laser shaping to define their contours, with CNC engraving enhancing the natural grain. Treatments preserve the hues while accentuating depth, texture, and subtle contrast. A carved Everest relief and its altitude, coated with Swiss Super-LumiNova® C1, provides a stunning highlight. Though brittle, where even the slightest adjustment risks fracture, the stone—through patient refinement over 30 days—is transformed into a finely honed dial.

lce axe-shaped hour

Minute hands

Time Cast In Strength

Realized from Grade 5 titanium, the case unites strength with
lightness—a material trusted in aerospace engineering. At
45mm, it wears with effortless comfort, shaped over 70 days of
cutting, engraving, etching, sandblasting, and hand-polishing.
The finish reveals layered textures—gloss, matte, yet refined.
Instead of conventional indices, fine notches carved into the
bezel mark each hour, blending structure with timekeeping. More
than a case, it becomes part of the story—a timeless frame for
the summit within.

Icons Reborn In Time

The angular hands draw inspiration from Sir Edmund Hillary’s
historic ice axe—today preserved in Auckland Museum. Their
silhouette recalls the tool that cleaved ice on that fateful
ascent, rendered here for a new climb of time. Coated with
Swiss Super-LumiNova®, they ensure brilliant legibility in
darkness. Beyond time-telling, each turn echoes challenges
overcome and heights yet to conquer.

A Milestone for CIGA
design in Watchmaking

In 2021, the ClGA design Blue Planet stood out among 208 global watch entries
competing for 14 prestigious awards. lt earned a spot on the stage of the Grand Prix
d'Horogerie de Genève (GPHG) - the “Oscars of Watchmaking”.