As a brand, Breitling is synonymous with the world of aviation, and while 2024 marks the company’s 140th anniversary, it also represents the 25th anniversary of the Breitling Orbiter 3 voyage, which was the first nonstop balloon flight around the world. To celebrate the historic mission and Breitling’s role as a sponsor, the Swiss manufacturer has created a special anniversary edition of its signature Aerospace analog/digital hybrid watch. Crafted from titanium and featuring a bright orange dial, the new Breitling Aerospace B70 Orbiter introduces a new high-accuracy quartz movement to the collection, and it also features an actual piece of the famous Orbiter 3 balloon embedded within its caseback.
While the core aesthetic of the Aerospace remains largely unchanged, the new Breitling Aerospace B70 Orbiter is ultimately a very different watch than the previous generation of the model. While the case is still made from titanium and measures 43mm in diameter with 22mm lugs, it is now slightly larger at 12.95mm thick with an overall lug-to-lug profile of 52.25mm. Similar to the previous series of Aerospace Evo watches, the top of the case is furnished with a sapphire crystal surrounded by a bidirectional timing bezel, while water resistance comes in at 100 meters to protect against most forms of moisture contact. However, unlike the previous generation, the sides of the case on the new Breitling Aerospace B70 Orbiter are slightly carved out to reduce weight and create a distinctly modern appearance.
Arguably the biggest update to accompany the new Breitling Aerospace B70 Orbiter can be found on the right-hand side of its case. On previous Aerospace models, all operations were performed with the multi-function crown, although the new Aerospace B70 Orbiter has an additional pair of oval-shaped pushers flanking the crown to offer increased access to the various functions of its movement. Additionally, rather than featuring a solid caseback like other quartz Breitling watches, the new Breitling Aerospace B70 Orbiter has a sapphire display window in its screw-on caseback, which showcases an actual piece of the Orbiter 3 balloon that first traveled around the world a quarter of a century ago.
The dial of the new Breitling Aerospace B70 Orbiter is finished in a vivid shade of orange with a radial gradient effect that darkens to black towards its outer edge, and it features the collection’s signature layout with a pair of centrally-mounted analog hands, large Arabic numeral hour markers, and two LCD screens that are tasked with displaying the advanced functionality of its internal movement. The color orange was chosen as a nod to the color of the Orbiter 3 capsule that held the two crew members, and if you look at photos taken during the voyage, you will also notice a Breitling Emergency with an orange dial on the wrist of Bertrand Piccard, who piloted the Obiter 3 balloon with Brian Jones on its historic journey around the globe.
While the layout of the dial is the same as what can be found on the previous generation of the Aerospace, the Breitling Aerospace B70 Orbiter is powered by a new high-accuracy SuperQuartz movement. Formally known as the Breitling Manufacture Caliber B70, the new thermo-compensated quartz movement is a COSC-certified chronometer, and it offers ten times the accuracy of a standard quartz wristwatch. Just as you might expect, the Breitling Cal. B70 offers an assortment of functions that include a 1/100th of a second chronograph (with split-time and flyback functionality), along with a countdown timer, second timezone, two alarms, lap timer, and perpetual calendar. While the battery life of the Cal B70 is fairly short at just two years, the movement does include an end-of-life indicator to notify owners when the power is running low, and since the chronograph on the Aerospace is digital, it can track events up to 99 hrs, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds.
Similar to other current-production Breitling models, the new Aerospace B70 Orbiter is available with the option of either a rubber strap or a matching titanium bracelet. The bracelet offers Breitling’s signature slanted three-link design with entirely brushed surfaces, and based upon the initial press images, the titanium bracelet appears to be largely the same as what can be found on the previous generation of Aerospace watches. Meanwhile, the rubber strap is black with a matching titanium folding clasp, and rather than having the “Breitling” name embossed into it in large letters like what can be found on the brand’s Endurance Pro series, the rubber strap is Breitling’s other style that has a raised center section with woven textured segments on either side, and this appears to be the same style that you will find on Breitling’s current-generation Superocean dive watches.
Given its upgraded movement and commemorative caseback that includes an actual piece of the Orbiter 3 ballon, the new Breitling Aerospace B70 Orbiter is slightly more expensive than the existing Aerospace Evo models, although the additional premium is relatively minimal, and the new model is accompanied by an official retail price of $4,700 USD when purchased on the rubber strap and $4,900 USD should buyers opt for the version with a matching titanium bracelet. While it would be natural to assume that the new Aerospace B70 Orbiter would be a limited edition (especially considering that it includes a genuine piece of the Orbiter 3 ballon in its caseback), Breitling has made no indication that this will be a limited-edition model. Additionally, given that it has been quite a few years since the Aerospace collection received a major overhaul, I wouldn’t be surprised if the new Aerospace B70 Orbiter was a preview of what we might expect from the next generation of Aerospace watches. For more information on the Breitling Aerospace B70 Orbiter, please visit the brand’s website.
