When discussing cities around the world that have become synonymous with watchmaking, La Chau-de-Fonds, Glashütte, Geneva, and Le Locle will most definitely come up at some point. One that you might not think of is Kathmandu. At Wound For Life, one brand that I can confidently say we all deeply admire, is Kobold; and since 2012, Michael Kobold and his team have been partly producing watches out of Nepal. Through this expansion of operations, Kobold has been able to further embrace the adventurous expeditions that are now tightly associated with the brand. This watchmaking initiative is truly commendable, and unlike anything else we’ve seen within the industry, and I don’t think it could fit with what Wound For Life stands for any better.
Michael Kobold
The brand’s connection to Nepal begins in 2008, when the company’s founder and CEO, Michael Kobold and his wife, Anita, successfully climbed Mt. Everest along with two men by the names of Ang Namgel Sherpa and Lapka Thundu Sherpa. Upon reaching the summit yet again in 2010, Anita began to suffer complications of the high altitude and cold temperatures, and was actually pronounced dead on the scene. Luckily and heroically, the two Sherpa managed to revive her. It goes without saying that Michael and his family were quite grateful for this life-saving feat. He felt the least he could do for Namgel and Thundu was give them the option to not have to lead Everest expeditions as their job. It’s the best way to make money in Nepal, but it’s also the most dangerous. Kobold decided to set up a watchmaking facility in Kathmandu, with Namgel and Thundu at the helm. After a year of learning the art of watchmaking in the US, the two men would go on to run Kobold’s eastern division, and produce a line of watches called “Himalaya”.
Ang Namgel Sherpa and Labka Thundu Sherpa
Himalaya is arguably Kobold’s most refined line of watches to date, and a significant amount of attention to detail is quite easy to notice just upon first glance. The mechanical wristwatch is available in both 41mm and 44mm, but the true appeal of this collection goes beyond the watch itself. Knowing that this project in Nepal does great things, and ultimately supports a noble people, is pure reassurance that corporate social responsibility is always on the mind at Kobold.
The Kobold Himalaya 44
As most will know by now, the country of Nepal was hit quite hard by a magnitude-7.8 earthquake, and I’m not going to sugarcoat it, the impact has been devastating. The death toll has passed 5,000, and it’s estimated that over 8 million people have been affected by the events. If you’d like to make a donation to provide relief to the people of Nepal, we highly recommend the Soarway Foundation, a non-profit organization set up by Kobold with the help of explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, renowned actor Malcolm McDowell, and ambassador Scott H. DeLisi. While the foundation’s main project — just a matter of weeks ago — was an expedition to provide much needed fire-engines to the country, priorities have obviously now changed.
With homes, national landmarks, and even Kobold’s facilities now destroyed, Nepal is greatly in need of our help. To do your part, and to learn more about the Soarway Foundation, head on over to www.soarway-foundation.org.
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