Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The Albishorn Thundergraph Khumbu, an Imaginary Vintage Chronograph for Alpine Exploration
Revisiting a tool-watch that never existed yet feels somewhat plausible.
Albishorn is one of these intriguing newcomers on the independent scene. The brand operates under the concept of “Imaginary Vintage“, designing watches that were never made but could have been. Following the Maxigraph and Type 10 in 2024, both explained by plausible historical scenarios, the 2025 Thundergraph was (or could have been) made for alpine exploration. A new version, the Thundergraph Khumbu, imagines a chronograph conceived for the 1952 Swiss Everest expeditions. With the Khumbu edition, the earlier Thundergraph evolves through a new dial execution and the option of a steel bracelet.
The Khumbu edition case, measuring 39mm in diameter and 12mm in height (including the sapphire crystal), keeps the established Thundergraph design, as well as the overall architecture of all previous models. Its layout is defined by a crown at 10:30 and a monopusher at 9:30, distinctive but also practical, allowing operation with the thumb when wearing gloves. The oversized rotating bezel, with its knurled edge and conical profile, is good for grip. Brushed surfaces dominate, with some polished accents, keeping a tool-watch character and adding a touch of refinement.
The dial is in a mint green opaline tone, inspired by the Himalayan landscape. Named by the brand “California ghost”, the dial retains Roman numerals on the upper half and triangles at the cardinal points, while omitting Arabic numerals entirely, with their space occupied by the two sub-counters below. The display is clear and legible, with large luminous markers and pencil hands. The chronograph layout, with running seconds at 4:30 and a 30-minute counter at 7:30, looks unconventional yet preserves symmetry across the dial’s lower half.
The Thundergraph Khumbu is powered by the already familiar calibre ALB03 M, a proprietary, COSC-certified, hand-wound monopusher chronograph movement. Based on a reworked Sellita SW510M Mp with a monopusher cam-lever construction (7750 architecture), operating at 28,800 vibrations/hour and offering a 65-hour power reserve, it has been adapted to achieve the unusual dial layout and crown position.
The Khumbu is offered with two leather straps, keeping the vintage tool-watch appeal, while the addition of a new steel bracelet with screwed links and an integrated extension system offers a more contemporary, versatile option.
Limited to 99 pieces and priced at CHF 3,650 on leather strap and CHF 4,100 on steel bracelet, the Thundergraph Khumbu is available exclusively online at albishorn-watches.ch from April 2, 2026.
