Let’s be clear, stone dials are having a moment in the watch world. From lapis, tiger’s eyes, malachite to meteorite, these age-old precious materials are a sure way to collect a little bit of history on your wrist that is yours and yours alone. But Breitling truly takes owning your own history up a notch in the spirit of the brand’s 140th anniversary this year.
Proving that the sky’s the limit, the Swiss watchmaker’s double-down on their history in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the first non-stop balloon flight. That’s right, long before Carl’s house got hoicked up into the atmosphere in Pixar’s Up, balloonists Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones completed a daring voyage across the globe to become the first humans ever to circumnavigate the globe in a balloon.
Given Breitling’s native affinity for all things aviation, it made sense that the watchmakers sponsored the feat of excellence, regarded as the official supplier to the world of aviation. And naturally, those on board the balloon were donning Breitling’s finest. To mark both anniversaries – a seismic 140 years for Breitling and a quarter of a century since the expedition – the Swiss stalwarts take celebrations to new heights with the launch of the Aerospace B70 Orbiter. Complete with a bright orange dial, the colour of the Orbiter 3 capsule, this watch isn’t just your average commemorative model making a circumspect homage.
With this new launch, you can quite literally own a piece of history on your wrist, with a segment of the actual balloon visible from the caseback of the watch to admire at your leisure. An intimate reminder on the capabilities of mankind, you can treasure the feats of greatness at the discretion of your wrist.
Fair to say, Breitling’s anniversary year is off to a flying start, and with this SuperQuartz hybrid of analog and digital display, offering 10 times the accuracy of a standard quartz watch, the Breitling Aerospace B70 makes its own historic landing in the present day. Grail lists at the ready.
Discover more about Breitling’s 140 Years of Firsts here.
