LIP Himalaya Watch - Origin
Maurice Herzog—the hero, mountaineer, politician, and industrialist who was recently awarded the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor by Nicolas Sarkozy—passed away on December 13 at the age of 93. It is therefore with great sadness that, through this article, we wish to reflect on the life of this friend of Lip, a life marked by athletic adventure, but also by his courage and his political commitment, which will forever be etched in the annals of our country’s history. Lip owes him the “Himalaya” collection, a timeless tribute watch.
In 1944, he left Lyon to study at the renowned Parisian business school HEC. It was the end of World War II; he joined the Resistance, where he became captain of the 27th Battalion of Alpine Hunters. He distinguished himself particularly during the Alpine Campaign from 1944 to 1945. It is said that he was one of the best mountaineers in the battalion and that he molded his unit “in his own image.”
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The Conquest of Annapurna
In 1950, Maurice Herzog was chosen by the French Mountaineering Federation to lead the expedition that would make him a true national hero: the conqueror of Annapurna, the “first 8,000”—that is, the first 8,000-meter peak.
It took the expedition led by Maurice Herzog nearly two months to reach the vicinity of the site before beginning the actual ascent. He reached the summit with the experienced guide Louis Lachenal, without oxygen or a map, in bitter cold. The extreme determination required for this unprecedented sporting feat unfortunately took an irreparable toll on their health. In fact, it was during the descent that the expedition’s suffering reached its peak. The cold was so biting that the fingers and toes of the two climbing partners froze. The doctor had no alternative but to perform amputations without anesthesia on the train taking them down from Nepal. Maurice Herzog spent a year in the hospital, where he was treated for the numerous injuries sustained during the expedition.
The men on this expedition certainly helped restore hope and honor to a nation still traumatized by the war, and perhaps that is what will make Maurice Herzog a hero of our history—a legend, even. Two works recount the exploits of this team: Marcel Ichac’s film *Victory on Annapurna* and Maurice Herzog’s book *Annapurna: First 8,000*, translated into 40 languages and dictated from his hospital bed. Some team members later questioned the legitimacy of the feat, for which he alone received the honors. It was the postwar era; France needed a hero to restore its confidence and pride, and Maurice Herzog embodied that role.
And so, at the time, the public was left with the image of the leader brandishing his ice axe toward a black sky, at –40°C, holding a small tricolor flag—a powerful symbol of a victorious France—on the cover of issue No. 74 of *Paris Match*, which cemented his legend. This image of Herzog—along with the controversy and his high media profile at the time—would gradually draw him into the world of politics, while of course keeping him closely tied to the sports world. In particular, he was a lifetime member of the Olympic Committee.
Maurice HERZOG, the industrialist and politician
In addition to being the first person to conquer an 8,000-meter peak, Maurice Herzog was a very active and respected politician. Valérie Fourneyron, the current Minister of Youth and Sports, said of him, “Behind the legend was a public servant. I want to express our respect for this man’s extraordinary life.” In 1958, he was appointed by General de Gaulle to the position of Secretary of State for Youth and Sports, a post he held for eight years. It is to him that we owe the inclusion of physical education in schools and as a requirement for the baccalaureate.
He also served as a deputy for the Rhône department for 17 years and as mayor of Chamonix from 1968 to 1977. In addition to his high-level political responsibilities, Maurice Herzog was regarded during the “Thirty Glorious Years” as one of the greatest industrialists of his time, overseeing several major companies, including the Mont Blanc Tunnel Company, which he led from 1981 to 1984, when he retired.
The "Himalaya" Collection
The Himalaya has been one of the most popular models in our collections since 1954. The Himalaya was, of course, endorsed by the great Maurice Herzog, who wore it himself. In fact, the watch was so highly prized at the time that a 1959 advertisement claimed, “Worn by Maurice Herzog and nine out of ten of mountaineering’s greatest figures.” The idea came from the high-mountain guide Lionel Terray, a friend of Fred Lip’s who was part of the “First 8,000” expedition to Annapurna. While the Himalaya is a highly regarded watch among mountaineers for its precision and durability, it’s also worth noting that it was a “star” of the Tour de France, where Lip served as the “official timekeeper.” It was produced until 1973—the year of the “Lip family feud”—before being reissued later in its current form.
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