Philipp Stahl introduces the Hillary Tenzing Explorer project
By The Prodigal Fool, published on 21 March 2011
This story is a heady, engrossing mix of facts and speculations, friends. Well, mostly speculation, if truth be told. And one fact.
Last weekend, your intrepid editors travelled to the picturesque little Dutch town of Maastricht where Philipp Stahl, owner of Steiner and renowned vintage Rolex nut, was introducing his HTE project to the public for the first time in the illustrious company of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay’s sons, Peter and Jamling.
You can imagine how excited we were to be there in person and to get to the heart of the story for you. We’ve been watching the HTE project with great interest for a while now as they have slowly been revealing details of the package on their website. The concept is enticing indeed: a modified current gen Explorer and two further watches all presented in an Everest-themed package and endorsed by Hillary and Tenzing.
Unfortunately, somewhere between the first glass of wine and the tenth, somewhere between Stahl’s impassioned but confusing chat with us and Hillary and Tenzing’s truly inspiring accounts of their mountaineering achievements, we lost the plot and singularly failed to get a clear answer to one simple question: what is going to be in the HTE Explorer package?
Here’s that one fact we mentioned earlier: the package will set you back a tidy EUR 28,800 before sales tax. What do you get for your money? Well, that’s where the speculation comes in. We know there will be a current generation Explorer in the box which Stahl and company will be modifying to make it more reminiscent of the vintage models. How? From what we can tell, the case and the numerals will be brushed and the dial will have the word Explorer painted in red. Oh, and the current generation Explorer’s superb bracelet (in many ways the selling point of the watch to us) will be replaced by a thick leather strap. The result is impressive: it’s a fantastic looking watch. Indeed, in our view, it’s the watch that Rolex should have released itself.
What else will be in the box? Well, here we rely on more speculation. If – as everyone expects – Rolex releases a new Explorer II at Baselworld this week, then expect that, in some shape or form, to be included. The third piece? Stahl says it will be an Explorer of some kind. We’re guessing perhaps a vintage one but that wasn’t clear.
What was a little clearer was that the serious big spenders amongst you should make your way to Christies in Geneva on 16 May. There, Stahl will be auctioning off HTE Explorer package number 88 of 88. You can see Stahl introduce it in the video: a modified current generation Explorer, a vintage orange-hand Explorer II and a gold Datejust – all with notional links to the Hillary and Tenzing families. All proceeds from that sale will go to the Himalaya Foundation.
So, how did we attend the event, speak at length to Stahl and yet still come away with so many questions? Hey, sue us, we never said we were any good at this journalism gig and, as you know, we’re often more interested in the contents of the bar than getting the scoop. But, more seriously, the truth is, we don’t think that Stahl and company have fully settled this in their own heads yet. It will be interesting to see how it unfolds.
Anyway, enough introduction. We shot the accompanying video so that you could come and meet Stahl for yourselves.
“Philipp, dear boy” we said “what we need is for you to introduce the contents of the HTE package and tell our readers why you embarked on this project. Please keep it to less than five minutes.”
“Ja, ja, of course, no problem,” he beamed back “and then we have a beer, ja!?”
25 mins later, as Stahl was still in full throw, waxing lyrical on every detail of the Rolex Explorer’s fabled history, it took all of Six’s limited skill as a journalist to drag the interview – kicking and screaming – to a close.
It was a real pleasure chatting to Stahl. You can’t help be enchanted by him. He’s a man with immense – and very genuine – passion for his work, for the watches and the history of the Rolex brand.
Keep your eyes peeled on HTE’s website. The next few weeks should be interesting indeed.
Philipp Stahl introduces the Hillary Tenzing Explorer project
The Fool and Straight-Six travel to Maastricht to meet Philipp Stahl, renowned vintage Rolex nut and owner of Steiner. Stahl introduces his exciting new Hillary Tenzing Explorer project on video for us the only ways he knows how: at extraordinary length!
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