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 — charting over 45 thousand kilometres in just under 20 days.

Considered the final great flight challenge of the 20th century, Piccard and Jones' achievement was a historic win for Breitling, whose association with aviation dates back all the way to the 1930s. The Swiss brand has just chosen to commemorate the event's 25th anniversary with a stunning love letter to 20th century flight — and it comes in the form of the new Aerospace B70 Orbiter 25th anniversary edition.

With a bright orange dial reminiscent of the original Orbiter 3 capsule, the B70's 43mm case is fashioned out of titanium (just like the 28 propane tanks fitted to the balloon) and even features a piece of the 'envelope' — the balloon material — visible through the caseback.

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. 

Presented on a titanium bracelet or a black rubber strap with a folding clasp, 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.