With all of the unrest in the world today, “giving back” has become an important thing for anyone living comfortably. And while lots of luxury brands, including watch brands, do give back in one way or another, I’d like to single out a few individuals in the world of high-end timekeeping that have gone the extra mile toward helping humanity in 2015 crises.
Michael Kobold and explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes created the Kathmandu Fire Truck Expedition, which will see a group of adventurers drive several fire engines from Kolkata (Calcutta) to Kathmandu. But before they could set out on this harrowing expedition planned for December 2015, Kathmandu was devastated by an unimaginable earthquake on April 25, 2015. Find out about the Fire Truck Expedition and how you can help Kobold and his admirable team help Kathmandu.
Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Michael Kobold first went to Kathmandu together in 2008, the latter having spontaneously decided to accompany his ambassador on a Mount Everest summit bid. They did not make it to the summit, but Kobold came back in 2009 and 2010 to successfully complete his bids despite life-endangering complications, becoming the first German national to summit Everest twice along the way. What then transpired is innovative and thankful.
The United States of America has a “secret” past in watchmaking that most people don’t know about and it has a lot to do with what Americans are good at: mass manufacturing. And more specifically, American watchmaking.