The year 2024 marks the 140th anniversary of the birth of Breitling. An important anniversary that the Swiss house has chosen to celebrate by paying tribute to the exceptional innovations that have marked its history. In addition to the return of the Cosmonaute and the new variations of the Navitimer worn by Erling Haaland and Giannis Antetokounmpo, Breitling is launching its new Aerospace B70 Orbiter. Each watch will be in a way a unique piece, since it contains “a piece of balloon that has made history”.
March 21, 1999: the first non-stop balloon flight around the world
In 1783, the Montgolfier brothers were the originators of the first manned balloon flight. On board this vessel, not yet named a hot air balloon, three particular passengers: a duck, a rooster, and a sheep.
216 years later, in 1999, a crew of a completely different caliber takes place aboard the Breitling Orbiter 3, a balloon that has little to do with the Réveillon of the Annonay brothers. The pilot Brian Jones is accompanied by the Swiss aeronaut, psychiatrist and explorer Bertrand Piccard (himself grandson of Auguste Piccard, who may have inspired Hergé for the character of Professor Calculus) and the duo managed to complete the first round-the-world trip in a non-stop hot air balloon.
The achievement is all the greater as the 21 attempts made so far had all ended in failure. Even Bertrand Piccard had to resign twice before, in 1997 and 1998. The third time is therefore the charm, at the end of a journey of 45,633 kilometers: after taking off from Château d’Oex on March 1, 1999, in Switzerland, the two adventurers successfully landed their balloon in the Egyptian desert after 19 days, 21 hours and 47 minutes.
This historic journey was marked by numerous challenges, including variable weather conditions, fuel reserve management, and navigation through different international air zones. And if the reliability of the equipment played a crucial role in this adventure, Piccard and Jones also relied on their Breitling Emergency watch on their wrist! A way for the Swiss brand to affirm its commitment to modern day explorers, as it now claims “140 years of pioneering spirit”.
Breitling celebrates Bertrand Piccard’s feat with its Aerospace B70 Orbiter watch
The year 2024 is important in more than one way for Breitling, as it marks its 140th anniversary, as well as the 25th anniversary of the achievement of Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones.
A timekeeper of stature was required to celebrate this double-anniversary, and it is the new Aerospace B70 Orbiter that takes on this responsibility. Its 43 mm diameter titanium case showcases an orange dial, the color of which recalls that of the Breitling Orbiter 3 balloon capsule. Made for adventure, the watch has to be perfectly legible: oversized indices and hands heightened by Super-LumiNova are therefore on the menu, while the logo of the Breitling Orbiter 3 mission appears at 3 o’clock. The analog time display is complemented by a digital one, thanks to the Breitling B70 caliber from the MMT manufacture, COSC certified, ten times more accurate than a standard quartz movement.
But the biggest peculiarity of this watch lies on the back of the case. And even though it’s perfectly transparent, it does not allow one to admire the famous SuperQuartz movement. Instead, it’s an authentic piece of the Breitling Orbiter 3 balloon that is visible and makes each example of this Aerospace B70 Orbiter unique.
Launched on March 21, 2024, 25 years to the day after the landing of Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones, this Breitling Aerospace B70 Orbiter watch (ref. EB70101A1O1E1) is offered at a price of 4800 euros. It is available at Maier, Daniel Gerard, Lepage and, of course, on the Breitling site.
