If you read my articles, or my reviews, you know I’m a sucker for stories when it comes to watches. And I’m more impressed when a watch it’s cheap but has a cool complication. Something that you can buy with a lot of money usually but comes at a decent price. CIGA design Everest 65th Anniversary does just that. An automaton built to celebrate the historic achievement.
You know me already, I am a fan of CIGA design, not because I get to play with their watches more, in fact I am a fan even before I started this project, since the Blue Planet won the GPHG award. And I need to say it again, like I do in almost all of my reviews of CIGA design…WE NEED A WORLD TIMER from your guys, but a cool one.
CIGA design Everest China 65th Anniversary is the first automaton built by them and instead of putting a hero on top of the mountain, they added a man underneath his colleagues, holding them up on his own shoulders. So we have a watch with a cool story, with really cool complication and something really nice that I will present on the dial section.
A short History behind the watch
Let’s back up a little because we need to know the history. In 1960, a Chinese team was assembled with the goal to reach the summit of Everest from the North Ridge. That is a route that nobody has ever pulled off before. The climbers ran into a wall of rock called the Second Step, which is a 40 feet of almost vertical stone. Second step stood between them and history.
So they tried, and failed. Tried again…and again they failed. But, a climber named Liu Lianman did something that gives me chills and it could easily be turned into a movie. He crouched, put his shoulders against the rock and told his teammates to climb on him. Like a human ladder, no fancy gear, no shortcuts.
65 years later, in 2025, a mountaineer climbed that same North Ridge route while wearing the CIGA design Everest 65th Anniversary. It’s not just a watch about that story, it’s a watch that followed the same path that inspired this watch and reached the summit.
As I said multiple times, it’s not about the watch, it’s about the story. And I’m loving it even more!
Design and Aesthetics
Case
Now let’s get a little technical. The case of CIGA design Everest is made from grade 5 Titanium which is good because it is a thick watch, having a thickness of 13.6 mm but because we have titanium, I can assure you it’s way lighter than it looks.
It is a big watch, no point pretending otherwise, but it wears easier than the numbers suggest. I wore it for 3 weeks every day.
CIGA design didn’t just stamp this case out, it goes through 70 days of cutting, etching, engraving, sandblasting and hand polishing. You can see that this watch is really well made and they put an extra effort on it.
The case itself carries engraved notches that work with its shape as a display feature, so the architecture of the watch actually becomes a part of how you read the time. It’s a cool detail that I really like. In short, it’s a design choice where a mechanical necessity or structural feature is styled to look cool and enhance the watch’s visual identity.
Dial
Now this surprised me! I admit, I took the watch and just wore it for 3 weeks. In the first week I didn’t do any research because I wanted to know nothing about it and just see how it feels, how it works.
After I started to read specifications and so on, one part genuinely surprised me. The dial is carved from real bedrock collected at the Everest foothills by the CIGA design team. So we don’t have a printed pattern that looks like a rock, but actual rock from the mountain.
Getting that stone on the dial is not an easy task, it takes more than 30 days of cutting, laser shaping and CNC engraving. It reminds me of how difficult the process to make email dials, like the one from Ulysse Nardin Marine Torpilleur is.
Because of its natural material, no two dials come out exactly the same, so each watch has a different texture. Mine will not look like yours on the dial. Positioned at 12 o’clock we have the 65th Anniversary relief which comes in Super-Luminova and the final touch that reminds us of the climbers are the hands which are shaped like ice axes.
It is a nice nod to the tools that actually got these men up the mountain. On the left side of the watch we have the automaton, picturing Liu Lianman holding a climber on his shoulders.
Lume
We have Super Luminova, like we have seen on other watches from CIGA design like Falcon which we reviewed or even the Vector.
Super-Luminova covers the relief detail and the tips of the hands. So the design doesn’t disappear once the lights are off.
Strap
The strap is fluororubber with a hidden clasp, it feels really good on the wrist, something I noticed from the time I reviewed the Time Cipher which felt really comfortable.
It keeps the wrist presentation really clean with no visible buckle that breaks up the line. Along the strap, we have embossed in relief the actual climbing route, it is on the inside of the strap, so you won’t see it everyday. On the outside of the strap we have embossed the 65th Anniversary emblem. So the strap tells the same story as the dial, even more it completes it.
Of course it has quick release, but it already became a standard on CIGA design watches.
Overall Style
I would say that this is a tool watch, given the fact that it was on Everest but it has a storyteller heart. It’s not trying to be a dress watch and for sure it’s not a pool or beach watch either. I would think of it as a watch that is perfect for someone that wants their wrist to carry a piece of history, not just tell the time.
Durability and Build Quality
Well it went to Everest in harsh conditions, so It’s safe to assume that this is a durable watch, right? Grade 5 Titanium is a good pick in this case because it resists corrosion really well, it’s tough and it won’t weigh your arm down after a long day. Water resistance is only 5 ATM, so you are covered for rain, but you won’t go swimming with this one.
Which is strange, because I assume that climbing on Everest you will encounter very wet weather. But I assume, I have never been there.
Sapphire crystal is protecting the dial from scratches and it matters a lot because you can look at that bedrock dial which is one of a kind without seeing scratches.
Given the fact that it takes 70 days to finish the case and the fact that this watch has a rotating automaton mechanism, I would say you need to treat this watch the way you would treat any watch with visible moving parts. Avoid heavy knocks!
Movement and Functionality
Movement of CIGA design Everest 65th Anniversary is a self developed CD-10 automatic automaton caliber, it has 21 jewels and it’s running at 21,600 vph. CD-10 is the first automaton watch from CIGA design and I believe it is a big step up in complexity from their previous Everest watches they launched. Those came with tourbillon places in central position.
Should I say it again? They need to make an accessible world timer, something crazy!
The automaton
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Here the watch it earns its price tag. The automaton recreates the human ladder moment that made history at the Second Step on mount Everest. A tiny climbing figure advances up on the dial and reaches the top at 12:00 and once again at 0:00. After that it resets to its starting position around 5 minutes before starting the climb again.
I believe it’s a cool thing they did, combining the history with engineering showing us that Historic moment over and over again.
Power Reserve
The movement provides 42 hours of power reserve. I’m not a fan of watches that has less than 60 hours of power reserve, but I can live with them. But it will get you through a weekend off the wrist without the need to set the time again when you pick it up on Monday.
I know it’s not a big problem, but I like to rotate my watches, so extra power reserve would have been nice.
Complications
We don’t have a date window, chronograph, GMT or anything else here. Just hour and minutes. But the real complication is the story itself, told through the automaton. And it is a great choice, because anything extra, or a date window would have interfered with the beautiful rock that serves as a dial.
Comfort and Wearability
I’m not going to lie, it is a big watch, 45mm wide, 13.6 mm thick, it’s not subtle at all. I don’t know how will sit on smaller wrists. What I can say is that the titanium casing keeps the weight manageable and it won’t feel like you strapped something heavy to your arm.
The rubber band feels really comfortable through the day, and we all know that rubber straps generally are good in hot summer when sweat is inevitable. I know I had some really hot days through the time I wore the watch. The hidden clasp is also a plus because it keep a really nice visual balance. And you don’t feel it at all.
I never felt the need to take the watch off, especially when I was sitting at my desk writing. Actually I’m wearing the watch as I am writing this review.
Features and Technology for CIGA design Everest 65th Anniversary
The star of the show is obviously the automaton mechanism and the bedrock dial. But we need to talk about the caseback as well. Completing the dial and the strap with the story of the ascension to Everest, finishes with the caseback. CIGA design engraved Liu Lianman’s own words there: “ Climb up! Doesn’t matter how hard – quick! Use my shoulders!” The text is in English, but I also see something written in Chinese, and it’s safe to assume that it is the same words.
Those are the words he actually said and wearing that on your wrist, It’s a cool thing in my opinion.
Brand and Heritage
The brand doesn’t come from generations of Swiss watchmaking tradition and they don’t pretend they do. They lean on industrial design which is probably why their watches look like nothing else.
Of course , we all know Blue Planet which WON the GPHG award. With this one, combining engineering with history ticks all the marks for me. I love a watch with a good story and I believe it cements their brand in the world of watches.
Price and Value for Money
As I’m writing the review, we don’t have the official price. CIGA design are known for building cool watches, with complications and functions that cost less than the same watches from Swiss companies for example. So I would expect that this watch would be in the same category. Previous Everest watches, with tourbillon are prices below $3000, so this one would be, maybe around the same?
Anyway, I’m curious too, and I will update this review once the price is disclosed by CIGA design. What I can tell you is that no matter the price, you will have a self-developed automaton caliber, a unique bedrock dial and a case that takes 70 days to be finished. So they invest a lot of time and attention to detail with this one.
I feel like it’s a flagship for the brand and not just a quick cash-grab on a good story.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- First ever Automaton from CIGA design which tells a real story instead of just spinning for show.
- Bedrock dial means that every watch is unique
- They created a connection with the mountain, The watch was worn on an expedition to Everest.
- Real attention to details given the fact that it take 70 days to complete the case
- Caseback engraving adds a hidden layer of meaning, making it personal
Cons
- 45mm by 13.6mm makes it a big watch. Not suitable for every wrist
- Only 5 ATM water resistance despite the rugged look
Box and Packaging
Same style, a box shaped like a book that will look good in my library. On the front cover you have the automaton with the climbers and the man who took a team on his shoulders in order to reach the peak. Go to the first page and you have a beautiful picture with Everest and some info about the height, temperature and coordinates.
Turn the page again and you have some information with a small map that shows us the route they took. Everything is in Chinese and unfortunately I don’t speak the language.
On the third page you have information about the recent climb that actually took this watch to Everest.
It’s nice they added these things, would have been nicer if this was in English as well. Maybe they will add it for the models that are shipped to the rest of the world.
Would I buy the watch?
After spending 3 weeks on my wrist, I could safely say…YES! I love the story, I love that they added everything on the watch, from the automaton to the embossed route they take on the strap. Let’s not forget the quote on the caseback. It has everything that means, but without being crowded. Every piece is placed carefully and with meaning,
The story of the man that let others climb on his shoulder and him never reaching the top is an interesting story and CIGA design managed to tell it with real mechanical ambition, not just a marketing copy. And this is something that I genuinely appreciate.
The CD-10 caliber is accurate, yes I don’t like the 5 ATM water resistance of the power reserve, but the bedrock dial makes it up for all. Oh and the powerful caseback engraving that now I realise I mention it too much, it’s really inspiring to me. What can I do, I just love it!
CIGA design Everest China 65th Anniversary feels like a step forward for the brand, it’s their first watch that also tells a good story. Oh and did I mention the Automaton?
Cool watch, would definitely buy.
Specifications
| Feature | Details |
| Case | Grade 5 Titanium, 45 mm x 13.6 mm |
| Movement | Self-developed CD-10 Automatic Automaton, 21 Jewels |
| Frequency | 21,600 vph |
| Power Reserve | 42 Hours |
| Dial | Genuine Everest Bedrock |
| Crystal | Sapphire |
| Strap | Fluororubber with Hidden Clasp |
| Water Resistance | 5 ATM |
| Lume | Swiss Super-LumiNova |
Disclosure: The watch was sent to us by CIGA design, however, they had zero input on how we review or present the watch. Opinions expressed are our own and have not been influenced by CIGA design in any way, shape, or form.
More info can be found on CIGA design website
