THE BREITLING COCKPIT B50 ORBITER LIMITED EDITION CELEBRATING THE TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST NON-STOP FLIGHT AROUND THE WORLD

On March 21, 1999, balloonists and Brian Jones safely landed their Breitling Orbiter 3 in a remote region of the Egyptian desert. In doing so, they became the first people to circumnavigate the globe non-stop in a balloon. Twenty years later to the day, Breitling – who sponsored the unique journey – will celebrate this incredi- ble feat of human ingenuity with the Cockpit B50 Orbiter Limited Edition, a SuperQuartz™ timepiece with features worthy of a true scientific and aeronautical milestone.

With the release of the Cockpit B50 Orbiter Limited completing a journey that had tantalized adventur- ­Edition, Breitling celebrates the twentieth anniversary ers for centuries. Balloonists Bertrand Piccard­ and of the first non-stop balloon flight around the world. ­Brian Jones accomplished something widely thought It is appropriate that the feature-packed SuperQuartz™ to be impossible. And on each pilot’s wrist was a watch will be launched on March 21, 2019, exactly ­Breitling Emergency. 20 years after the Breitling Orbiter 3 set down in Egypt,

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BREITLING.COM Breitling CEO Georges Kern is proud of his brand’s Presented on an orange rubber strap with a folding historic link to the mission and of its ongoing partner- clasp and featuring an orange dial, the Cockpit B50 ship with Bertrand Piccard, who is a member of the Orbiter Limited Edition will stand out in any crowd. The Breitling Explorers Squad and with the numerals, indexes, and hands are coated with lumi- Foundation: “Bertrand is an explorer of the first rank, nescent Super-LumiNova®, which makes them legible and he is also one of the world’s true visionaries. He in any lighting conditions. always dares to dream big, and, with every challenge he undertakes, there is always a level of humanity. He On its distinctive screwed titanium caseback are an inspires all of us and constantly strives to make the image of a balloon superimposed on a globe and the planet a better place. We knew that we had to create words “BREITLING ORBITER 3”. Around its perimeter is the a very special watch to honor him and the twentieth legend, “FIRST NON-STOP FLIGHT AROUND THE WORLD – anniversary of the Breitling Orbiter 3.” 20TH ANNIVERSARY – ETANCHE 100 M” as well as the limit- ed-edition number (1 OF 213). For Bertrand Piccard, the collaboration with Breitling combines friendship and loyalty. “When I started to The watch is powered by the Breitling Manufacture dream of flying around the world non-stop in a balloon, ­Caliber B50: a thermocompensated SuperQuartz™ Breitling supported me with passion. Now, 20 years lat- analog and digital display movement designed er, we are still partnering through the Solar Impulse in-house that delivers ten times the accuracy of a Foundation to create solutions for a better quality standard quartz watch. The Cockpit B50 Orbiter is a of life on this planet. Therefore, the new Cockpit­ B50 ­COSC-certified chronometer that includes functions ­Orbiter Limited Edition is not only celebrating the twen- that will prove particularly useful even on the most tieth anniversary of the Breitling Orbiter 3, it is project- extreme missions. ing us into new dimensions to explore.” In addition to the chronograph with split-time and fly- Circumnavigating the globe in a balloon was con- back capabilities, this model features a second time- sidered as the final great adventure of the twentieth zone display, a perpetual calendar, two alarms with century. In total, ten teams of prominent personal- buzzer and/or vibrate mode, a lap timer function and a ities tried 21 times to reach this Holy Grail. Bertrand countdown complete with its own alarm. Piccard himself failed twice in 1997 and 1998 before attempting the third flight with Brian Jones. The bal- And that is only the beginning. The Cockpit B50 Orbiter loonists successfully landed in the Egyptian desert on is equipped with an electronic tachymeter, a count- March 21, 1999, after traveling 45,755 km in 19 days, down/count-up system, and a chrono flight device, 21 hours, and 55 minutes, thus achieving the longest which records flight times by memorizing departure flight in the history of aviation in terms of both dis- and arrival times as well as the date. tance and duration. Another special feature is the Cockpit B50 Orbiter’s use The Ultimate Wristwatch for Visionaries and Adventurers of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), which enables the watch to ensure the smooth juggling of timezones The Breitling Cockpit B50 Orbiter Limited Edition has for frequent travelers. This function can also be used been crafted from striking black carbon-coated tita- to switch between the time displayed by the hands and nium and is limited to 213 pieces, a number chosen to that of the second timezone shown on the screen sim- commemorate the date the Breitling Orbiter 3 landed ply by pressing a pusher, with the system automatical- in Egypt – 21.3. – 20 days after it had taken off from ly taking account of a potential date change. Château-d’Œx in the Swiss Alps.

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BREITLING.COM The Cockpit B50 Orbiter has numerous other functions About Bertrand Piccard and features – the ones presented here are just the beginning –, but it is particularly user-friendly, with It is in Bertrand Piccard’s DNA to achieve the impossi- an intuitive, logical, and consistent control system, ble. As part of a legendary dynasty of explorers and sci- featuring function selection via crown rotation and entists who conquered the heights and depths of our activation/deactivation with its two pushers. This planet, he made history by accomplishing the first ever impeccable user-friendliness is complemented by the non-stop around-the-world balloon flight on board the interface messages appearing on the screens to guide Breitling Orbiter 3. With a vision to demonstrate the im- the user through the various operations. mense potential of renewable energies, he then initi- ated the Solar Impulse challenge and circumnavigated When the definitive history of scientific achievement the globe in an airplane powered only by the sun. Being of the twentieth century is written, it will include a a pioneer of clean technologies, his goal is now to se- chapter about two pilots circumnavigating the globe in lect 1000 economically profitable solutions to protect a balloon. The Breitling Orbiter 3 flew from the past – the environment. With his dual identity as a doctor and after all, ballooning around the world was one of a serial explorer, Bertrand Piccard has become an in- mankind’s early flying dreams – into the future. And a fluential voice as a forward-thinking thought leader stunning high-tech chronograph whose black titanium for progress and sustainability. case offers a stark contrast to its orange dial and strap is a perfect way to celebrate that mission.

Breitling

Since 1884, Breitling has established a global repu- tation for high-precision timepieces, its pioneering role in the development of the wrist chronograph, and its uncompromising commitment to design ex- cellence. With the brand’s storied association with aviation, Breitling has shared the finest moments in humankind’s conquest of the skies. Renowned for its spirit of innovation, it has also earned a place of privilege in the worlds of science, sport, and technol- ogy. Breitling manufactures its own movements in- house and the quality of every watch is confirmed by its status as a COSC-certified chronometer, made in Switzerland.

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BREITLING.COM FACTS ABOUT THE WATCH: COCKPIT B50 ORBITER LIMITED EDITION

Reference: VB50106A1O1S1

WATCH MOVEMENT

Caliber: Breitling Manufacture Caliber B50 Diameter: 33 millimeters Depth: 9.05 millimeters Movement: SuperQuartzTM thermocompensated quartz, electronic, analog and 12/24-hour LCD digital display, backlighting (white light), battery state-of-charge indicator Power reserve: 10 years of battery life Chronograph: 1/100th second, max. 99 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds, flyback function, electronic tachymeter, chronograph (lap timer, flight times) Other functions: countdown timer, 2 daily alarms, countdown/count-up system (max. 99 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes, 59.99 ­seconds) with independent alarm, UTC world time Calendar: digital, perpetual, with week indication Certification: COSC-certified

CASE

Material: black titanium Diameter: 46 millimeters Height: 16.45 millimeters Water resistance: up to 10 bar (100 meters) Glass: sapphire, convex, double anti-reflective Caseback: screwed black titanium Crown: non-screw-locked, two gaskets, integrated pushpiece Bezel: bidirectional, compass scale

DIAL/HANDS

Orange Super-LumiNova® luminescent numerals, indexes, and hands

STRAP

Orange rubber strap with folding clasp

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FURTHER INFORMATION

ROMY HEBDEN Head of Public Relations

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