Breitling has popped the champagne corks, thrown the confetti, and introduced a new watch to the Aerospace collection to commemorate their 140th anniversary. The Aerospace B70 Orbiter was made to honor the extraordinary achievements of Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones. The pair landed in Egypt on March 21, 1999, after piloting the Breitling Orbiter 3 balloon in the world’s first nonstop flight. During the flight, they covered an astounding 45,633 kilometers over a period of 19 days, 21 hours, and 47 minutes (if you’re using your watch to count). The Aerospace B70 Orbiter was made not just to celebrate Breitling but also to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the groundbreaking feat.
Breitling Aerospace B70 Orbiter
The dial is bright orange and despite the fact that it’s supposed to represent the mission logo on the flight, it actually looks as if it would fit right in on a Formula 1 race track; basically, it works in any world where human beings are achieving massively daring feats. It comes with a titanium bracelet or a black rubber strap, so you can go sporty or classy, depending on the occasion.
Technical specifications
Within the Aerospace B70 Orbiter is the COSC-certified Breitling Manufacture Caliber B70, a SuperQuartz™ movement famed for its accuracy. This SuperQuartz™ movement is 10 times more precise than standard quartz and powers several features made for pilots, those in the aviation world, and those who are just big fans of it. This Breitling watch features a 1/100th of a second chronograph with split-time and flyback functions, a countdown timer, second timezone, two alarms, a lap function, and a perpetual calendar.
What truly sets the Aerospace B70 Orbiter apart is the fact that it contains a living piece of history. That’s right, each special edition watch has a piece of the original balloon, which you can see through the open caseback. Having a piece of the balloon so close to you is like channeling the spirit of Piccard and Jones straight from your wrist and into your soul.
Breitling Emergency Orbiter 3
It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time Breitling has made a watch that pays homage to the Orbiter 3. In 2000, the brand introduced the Emergency Orbiter 3, a limited edition series with a blue dial; this model was later discontinued and made way for the Emergency II. While the new Aerospace B70 Orbiter is reminiscent of the Orbiter 3 Emergency with its 43mm case, the titanium material removes concerns about bulkiness.
Price and availability
Breitling has paid tribute to 140 years of history with the perfect celebratory cake: the Aerospace B70 Orbiter. Fortunately, it’s not a limited edition, though its availability depends on the number of fragments that can be taken from the Orbiter 3 balloon. This Breitling watch comes with a price tag of $4,700 for the rubber strap and $4,900 for the titanium bracelet.
