BREITLING | Kicking Off the 140th Anniversary, Breitling Launches Its First Commemorative Watch – Aerospace B70 Orbiter Multifunction Hot Air Balloon B70 Watch

The story begins 25 years ago!

On March 21, 1999, hot air balloon pilots Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones landed the Breitling Orbiter 3 hot air balloon in the Egyptian desert, becoming the first people to complete a non-stop round-the-world flight in a hot air balloon. The two pilots flew 45,633 kilometers (around 28,355 miles) over a period of 19 days, 21 hours, and 47 minutes, setting records for the longest flight distance and duration.

（On March 21, 1999, the Breitling Orbiter 3 hot air balloon achieved the first non-stop round-the-world flight record for a hot air balloon.） 

It's well known that, in the 1930s, Breitling's Huit Aviation Department developed precise cockpit instruments and pilot's chronograph watches for military aviators. With the booming development of the aviation industry, the brand became the "official supplier to world aviation" through its Navitimer series of chronograph watches equipped with a circular slide rule, making it the ideal choice for commercial airline crews. To this day, Breitling has introduced the Professional series of aviation watches with both digital and analog displays, providing professional services to pilots under the most extreme conditions.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of this epoch-making flight, Breitling has launched the Aerospace B70 Orbiter Multifunction Hot Air Balloon B70 Watch, with each watch containing a piece of the original hot air balloon. This unique watch highlights the great achievement.

Featuring a titanium case and bracelet, the watch dial at the 3 o'clock position is adorned with the mission logo of the Breitling Orbiter 3 hot air balloon. The numbers, hour markers, and hands are coated with Super-LumiNova®, ensuring the time can be clearly read even in dim light.

Equipped with the newly designed Breitling-manufactured B70 movement, certified by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC), this is a SuperQuartz™ temperature-compensated super quartz movement, offering ten times the accuracy of standard quartz watches. It is equipped with multiple functions, including a 1/100 second chronograph (with split times and flyback capability), countdown timer, second timezone, two alarms, lap timer, and perpetual calendar.

To commemorate the historic landing day of the Breitling Orbiter 3 hot air balloon, the Aerospace B70 Orbiter Multifunction Hot Air Balloon B70 Watch is set to be released globally on March 21, 2024, further highlighting its extraordinary significance.

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