Breitling Aerospace B70 Orbiter Marks 25th Anniversary Of Balloon…

Breitling celebrates the 25th anniversary of the first non-stop balloon flight around the world, with the launch of the Aerospace B70 Orbiter.

The timepiece is a tribute to an adventure that expanded the horizons of human achievement—and, best of all, each watch contains a piece of the original balloon.

“Since the birth of aviation, Breitling has been there for all those who looked to the sky and dared to dream. As we honour the pioneering spirit of the Orbiter 3 mission, we reaffirm our commitment to being at the forefront of aviation’s future. The skies have no limit, and neither do we.”
Georges Kern, CEO, Breitling

On March 21, 1999, balloonists Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones completed a daring voyage, landing the Breitling Orbiter 3 in the Egyptian desert. They shattered records and defied expectations, becoming the first to circumnavigate the globe nonstop in a balloon.

It was considered the final great flight challenge of the 20th century. In total, 11 teams of prominent personalities made 21 attempts. Bertrand Piccard himself tried twice in 1997 and 1998 before succeeding on the third attempt with Brian Jones. The balloonists touched down in Egypt after traveling 45,633 km in 19 days, 21 hours, and 47 minutes, achieving the longest flight, both for distance and duration.

“Twenty-five years is a generation, but those 20 days were so intense, I remember every aspect of the flight like it was yesterday. It was not only about flying around the world; it was about showing that we can achieve much more than we think. Now, as then, we need to be able to dream big. To get out of our comfort zone. To be disruptive. When you apply this thinking to any topic, you can change the world.”
Bertrand Piccard, Explorer

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The Aerospace B70 Orbiter 25th anniversary edition caseback features the Breitling Orbiter 3 mission logo around its perimeter and the inscription ‘First non-stop flight around the world 25th anniversary.’

Presented on a titanium bracelet or a black rubber strap with a folding clasp (below), the watch features the Breitling Orbiter 3 mission logo on the dial at 3 o’clock. Its numerals, indexes, and hands are coated with luminescent Super-LumiNova^®, making them legible even in low light. Both the case and optional bracelet have been crafted in titanium, a robust material with the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any metal. It’s also nonmagnetic, hypoallergenic, and highly resistant to corrosion, guaranteeing its wearers a strong, safe, and comfortable watch that will support them—even on the toughest missions.

The watch is powered by the newly designed COSC-certified Breitling Manufacture Caliber B70: a thermo-compensated SuperQuartz™ analog and digital display movement that delivers 10 times the accuracy of a standard quartz watch. This engine powers the watch’s array of functions, including a 1/100th of a second chronograph (with split-time and flyback functions), countdown timer, second timezone, two alarms, lap function, and perpetual calendar.

The Aerospace B70 Orbiter launches exactly 25-years to the day that the Breitling Orbiter 3 made its historic landing.