Extreme mountaineer on a mission: How does a luxury watch climb Mount Everest?

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Eyelashes frozen, lips chapped, skin mottled – but Kristin Harila is still smiling for the camera. The video shows the Norwegian extreme climber on Nanga Parbat, the ninth highest mountain in the world. One tenth of the fourteen eight thousand in the world. And that’s in less than three months. Because Harila is on a mission. He wants to climb all eight thousand people in the world in six months.

His story began in 2021: The then-36-year-old set a world record on his first lap in the death zone. As the fastest woman, she climbed Mount Everest, the highest of the mountains, and its side peak, Lhotse, in less than twelve hours. The success inspired the still inexperienced mountaineer – his toughest peak to date was Kilimanjaro in Africa – for his ambitious project.

A house as a reward for the highest peaks

If successful, it will soon be only the second person to do so. The first climber succeeded in 2019. Nepali sport climber Nirmal Purja, better known as “Nims”, has reached all fourteen summits in six months and six days. His project was called “Project Possible,” and it was accompanied with great pomp by Netflix. The documentary “14 Peaks” is one of the most watched documentaries on the streaming app.

But back to Harila: his first steps on Mount Everest inspired him, the Norwegian athlete wanted more. But expeditions to the world’s highest peaks cost money – travel, accommodation, guides, permits. Express exits are even more expensive because parts of the route are bridged by private helicopter flights.

But Harila was sure of her purpose. He sold his house, started a crowdfunding campaign and sought sponsors. A sponsor was soon found – the same sponsor of Nims’ “Project Possible”: British watch brand Bremont.

Since then, Kristin Harila has proudly presented her watch on every summit she has climbed. The “Mountains Moves” project is on the way, with the goal achievable after failing last year due to lack of approval from China.

Watch brand Bremont is pleased with the success of its ambassador so far: “Kristin truly embodies what it means to be a Bremont ambassador. “We are delighted to be able to support this incredible endurance performance of this successful and extraordinary woman,” Sarah Wood, Bremont’s marketing manager, told the Handelzeitung.

Watch brands pose little risk

However, Bremont does not comment on the level of financial support. But the question arises: why does a luxury watch like the Bremont support mountaineers in their ambitious plans? “Clocks position themselves strongly through storytelling, that’s the beginning and end of everything,” says brand sponsorship expert Hans-Willy Brockes. A feeling is sold with a brand. In this case, heroism, perseverance, reliability and precision. “It goes better with the technical refinement of a watch than with a moody rock’n’roller,” says Brockes.

This is a smart move for Bremont. It looks like Harila should climb the last two peaks right now – but if she doesn’t, the Bremont watch brand won’t suffer any damage, despite her sponsorship. The collaboration is very young, and the athlete is not well known. However, if Harila rules all the peaks, it will pay off for this brand: the watch will be especially clearly linked to women’s performance.

“It’s not like Rolex and Federer: If Federer had caused a scandal, Rolex would have suffered because Federer and the watch have been linked for years as a promotional tool,” says Brockes.

So far, no one has linked Harila to a scandal – but she has been hacked multiple times online. Beneath the social media posts, there are constant critical comments as well as laudatory hymns. Voices doubt that the climbing record has anything to do with the mountains. It allows him to fly from base camp to base camp, climbs with the aid of oxygen, and cannot reach any summit without fixed ropes and Sherpas.

This criticism may backfire on sponsors, but that rarely happens, according to Hans-Willy Brockes. “Sponsorship, if handled properly, rarely backfires.” However, the most important thing is to keep an eye on risk management. And that’s very balanced in the Bremont and Harila case: “There’s more opportunity than risk,” says Brockes.

Divers, pilots and climbers are the preferred watch messengers.

Harila shows that she takes her job seriously as a Bremont ambassador in each of her Instagram posts. She always showcases the white Bremont Submariner S3000 with its blue and white striped bracelet and blue bezel. For example, under Shishapangma’s summit post in Tibet on April 26 on Instagram it reads: “Counting time.”

According to Sarah Wood of Bremont, the Submariner S300 is an extremely powerful and robust watch. “It has become synonymous with extreme environments.” When asked if such a watch could operate above 8,000 meters, the marketing manager replied, “It’s a watch that can withstand the toughest conditions, whether above or below water.”

Source :Blick