Sherpa

Sherpa is a German watch brand.

Based in Meerbusch near Düsseldorf, Germany, Sherpa Watches GmbH was founded by Martin Klocke with the goal of reviving the “Sherpa” watch series launched in the 1950s by Enicar. The term, familiar from Himalayan extreme mountaineering, stands for reliability, willingness to perform and durability; therefore, the range then and now includes not only models suitable for expeditions, but also diving watches such as the “Ultradive”.

The sophisticated, carefully thought-out concept and high quality standards pursued by the company's founder include both technical refinements such as classic compressor technology (to be distinguished from the technology of the same name used at Jaeger-LeCoultre) and a Tibetan Buddhist component.

The principle of the bayonet compressor used here was rediscovered by Martin Klocke while studying old archives. It concerns both the crown seal and the caseback seal. First, the history of this invention:

• Crown seal:
  The ingenious idea is to do without the screw-down crown, but to use the rising water pressure for sealing. This technology, called Monoflex, was developed in the 1950s by Ervin Piquerez S.A. (EPSA) and updated by Sherpa.
  In this process, higher external pressure leads to pressure on the seal towards the tube, while the pressure decreases or disappears at lower (or no) pressure. The sealing materials used here are not common in the watch industry and are very long lasting and resistant agains wear.

• Case bottom seal:
  

  
  Case back of the Sherpa Ultradive with the traditional EPSA diving helmet logo
  © Sherpa

  The caseback design follows the same compression principle: the “compressor” system used to be first a caseback with a snap-on latch that could be compressed to increase water tightness. The “EPSA-STOP” or “bayonet compressor” system was a further development of this system, where the case bottom did not snap into place, but was secured by a sophisticated bayonet system that also allowed the case bottom to be compressed under water pressure.
  In this way, during deeper dives, the rising water pressure automatically pushes a screwed caseback deeper into the case, resulting in firmer pressure on the seal.

• The Sherpa update:
  The “EPSA-STOP” or “Bayonet Compressor” system has been improved through the use of advanced sealing materials and increased manufacturing precision, as well as a new design. This allows the caseback to be inserted in only one orientation and guarantees a perfectly aligned EPSA logo (the iconic diving helmet!) on the caseback.
  This new design makes the caseback so tight to the gasket that everyday actions can be performed easily and safely, while the gasket becomes even tighter when the watch is subjected to higher external pressure.

This term refers to a design idea that has never been seen before in this form: Similar to Tibetan prayer flags and prayer wheels, which mechanically carry spiritual messages to the world, here watch wheels are engraved with laser-engraved texts in microscopically small original letters, spreading “good vibrations” according to ancient tradition, in the form of the mantra „OM MANI PEME HUNG“.

• Ultradive, diving watch
  with internal diver's bezel operated by the top crown.
• OPS, operational watch
  Inspired by a model favored by several naval forces in the 1960s.

Both model series use automatic calibers based on Sellita (in premium version), with fine decoration on both sides, gilt finish and custom rotor.

• Sherpa watches