The tourbillon is less relevant now than ever.
What was once beneficial in pocket watches has become less relevant in wristwatches, which naturally experience a broader range of motion. While inexpensive quartz modules outperform all but the most accurate mechanical movements, the tourbillon remains a demonstration of horological craftsmanship and sophistication. The rotating carriage, set at the very center of the dial, further draws attention. The CIGA Design Central Tourbillon Mount Everest Homage Edition is one of the few watches where such a complex mechanism can be overshadowed by other aspects of the case, dial, and hands. Let's take a step back and look at it all.
Visit the CIGA Design website, and you'll see many unconventional watch designs. There are several skeletonized dials and a range of unconventional case shapes. Among them stands out the Blue Planet model, which won the GPHG Challenge Prize. Those watches, housed in a huge 46mm case, heavily relied on earth-themed design. These watches follow the same principle.
Rock Around the Watch
I like it when a brand names its watches meaningfully. There is no random set of hard-to-remember numbers and letters here. As the name suggests, these watches feature a central tourbillon and are released in honor of Everest, the highest mountain on Earth. More precisely, in honor of the 70th anniversary of the first ascent by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953. It is quite appropriate that a watch dedicated to such a massive rock and ice formation, as well as a tremendous achievement, is itself quite large. The 47mm Central Tourbillon case does not disappoint in this regard. Given the brand's design approach, any comments lamenting a lack of subtlety are largely redundant. The watch does not claim to be silent and unassuming, so it would be unfair to judge it that way.
Around the perimeter of the central tourbillon is a ring with commemorative text: two large pickaxe-shaped hands inscribed with "Courage" and "Exploration." The minute hand bears the flags of India, Nepal, the UK, and the United Nations. Although the hands are large, the small indicators on their tips are somewhat hard to distinguish, and there is no dial marking. The dial is empty, except for the outline of Mount Everest and its height, inscribed on the textured surface. CIGA Design's decision to leave its branding on the watch case, while keeping the dial's inscriptions sparse, is both intentional and useful. The brand chose stones from the base of Everest, forming each dial from a piece. It may not be a piece of the summit on your wrist, but it’s probably as close as you can get.
Titanium Case Without Lugs
For such large watches, I'm glad CIGA Design chose titanium for the case. In the absence of traditional indices, rather industrial protrusions around the case serve as improvised hour markers. You can't set or read the time with great confidence. In contrast, the text on the case back would make a Rolex dial blush. In ever-decreasing circles, we get a quote from Edmund Hillary: "It is not the mountains we conquer but ourselves," along with details about the crystal, movement, water resistance, and more. For an exhibition case back, the movement is unremarkable. However, what is visible on the front more than compensates for this.
In the images, you can see that the watch has a lugless design. A fairly thoughtful way of inserting the strap into the case (with a quick-release spring-loaded button for removal) helps these large watches wear better on an average-sized wrist than I expected. The downside is that strap choices are limited to those CIGA Design manufactures specifically for this model. Fortunately, the strap supplied is very good. The mountain theme is reflected in the strap's texture and more explicitly in the commemorative markings embossed on it. The rubber strap is 22mm wide at the case and tapers toward the butterfly clasp.
Making a Big Impression
Thanks to the absence of traditional lugs and the comfortable strap, the Central Tourbillon Mount Everest does not feel like a 47mm giant on my 17.75 cm (7") wrist. The watch is also not as heavy as it looks, mainly due to the choice of case material. However, any illusion of modesty is shattered when you look at them. These watches, without a doubt, are a statement piece. It's easy to overlook that the movement is a centrally-mounted tourbillon. After all, it overshadows all its visual merits. The CD-05 caliber features manual winding, a frequency of 21,600 per hour, and an impressive 120-hour power reserve after a full wind. There is, of course, no second hand, but the tourbillon shows whether the watch is running and can be used to count seconds as it rotates fully once a minute.
Final Thoughts
There are watches suitable for mountaineering, and there are watches with a mountaineering theme. The CIGA Design Central Tourbillon is undoubtedly the latter. Crafting the dial from specially selected stones collected at the base of Everest is a logical way to mark this theme, and the centrally-mounted tourbillon turns the watch into something special. Even though I don't feel a particular connection to these watches and prefer significantly smaller ones, I commend the brand for enthusiastically promoting this theme. There are two options: stop at a couple of nods to conquering the Himalayan peak or go all out. The presentation box, accompanying book, and pendant - presumably made from the same stone as the dial, featuring images of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay - complete an impressive set for $3,600.
The CIGA Design Central Tourbillon Mount Everest Homage Edition certainly attracts attention. While the bold design choices leave me longing for something more modest, the overall execution is successful, and there is much to appreciate. For more information, visit the CIGA Design website.