Well that went badly. I asked Philipp three questions:
1. Where's the “29” on Evans’ watch? Do you have a picture?
2. How come Evans got a "1953 Everest" watch if he was on the 1952 expedition and already got one then?
3. And what do you make of Mr Winter’s letter?
So far answers come there none, although of replies there have been several -- all short and none sweet.
On another note I remembered that I'd started a thread on this subject over at Rolex Forums (I hadn't realised it was three years ago!)
I found it and added the letter from Mr Winter.
Seconds later the thread was locked.
https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=456380
It's a like a cult. True believers will say "The answer is Rolex; now what's the question?"
And heaven forbid that it should be a humble hand-winding watch from England. To lose the moon to Omega is one thing, but to lose Everest to Smiths (after Rolex had "Everest" branded watches in the 1930s and almost got there in '52) -- well, that doesn't bear thinking about. So they don't.
But it looks like it was a watch from the Cotswold Hills and not the Swiss Alps that went to the top of the Himalayas.