On March 1 1999, balloonists Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones left the Swiss village of Chateau d’Oex to embark on the biggest flight challenge of the 20th Century: circumnavigating the globe nonstop in a balloon.
Piccard had tried himself twice before in 1997 and 1998 unsuccessfully, which enabled the Breitling team to build the Orbiter 3, the balloon with enough technical prowess for Piccard and Jones to pilot it over 30,000 feet, where jet streams would drive it across the Pacific at speeds over 100 miles per hour.
25 years ago today, on March 21, the duo touched down in Egypt after traveling 45,633 km in 19 days, 21 hours, and 47 minutes, achieving the longest flight in both distance and duration.
To commemorate the occasion – as part of many firsts that the watch brand will be celebrating throughout their 140th year – Breitling have launched the Aerospace B70 Orbiter watch, featuring a segment of the original balloon visible via the transparent caseback.
“Twenty-five years is a generation, but those 20 days were so intense, I remember every aspect of the flight like it was yesterday,” Piccard says. “It was not only about flying around the world; it was about showing that we can achieve much more than we think.”
As to be expected from such a unique event, this watch includes some pretty unique features. Along with featuring the actual balloon, the caseback has the mission logo around its perimeter – a feature also on the dial at 3 o’clock – and the inscription “First non-stop flight around the world 25th anniversary.”
The timepiece is powered by the newly designed Caliber B70: a thermo-compensated SuperQuartz analog and digital display movement that delivers ten times the accuracy of a standard quartz watch. Just what you need if you’re in a race where every seconds counts – on land or in the air.
Aerospace B70 Orbiter, 43mm, black rubber strap, £3,800; titanium bracelet, £3,950; breitling.com
Carmen Bellot is the Style Editor of Esquire, writing on all things menswear and grooming.
