One way watchmakers make their timepieces stand out is by using unique materials. Swiss company HYT launched five fluid-filled watches while The Sacred Crafts company created La Grande Mer made from materials collected from the sea. But famed jeweler Jacob & Co. might have come up with the rarest inclusion yet: pieces of Mt. Everest.
The luxury company created the Astronomia Tourbillon Everest watch after supplying Swedish explorer Johan Ernst Nilson with the Astronomia Sky for his ascent to Everest last year. The two partnered to develop the timepiece to handle altitudes up to 20,000 feet and temperatures as low as -22 Fahrenheit.
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Now, the new watch will feature a double-axis gravitational tourbillon, a one-carat 288-faceted diamond, and a magnesium globe that continually rotates. For the first time, the brand used Super-LumiNova for the hands, globe, and background constellations, making them visible in dark conditions. Of course, the highlight has to be the face made of actual water Nilson brought back from the North and South Poles, and a rock from Everest mounted in the middle of the watch.
But to kick up the sense of adventure, even more, Jacob & Co. and Nilson decided to add a once-in-a-lifetime trip with the purchase. Every buyer gets a helicopter ride for two with the famous mountain climber to the very spot on Everest, where he took the rock for the watch.
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Not surprisingly, the timepiece comes with a hefty price tag of $884,800 (honoring Everest's 8,848 meters). Plus, only 24 (honoring the 24 main time zones) watches will be made with 12 in blackened 18-karat white gold and 12 made with 18-karat white gold. But a portion of the proceeds will go to organizations helping the environment as the primary purpose of creating the watch was to raise awareness on climate change.
