Travolta joins Breitling Jet Team for Team’s First-Ever Performance at the Air Races in Reno
Swiss watchmaker Breitling hosted longtime brand ambassador, two-time Academy Award Nominee and Golden Globe winner and renowned aviator John Travolta, along with customers and executives from all over the globe for an aviation-filled weekend at the National Championship Air Races in Reno, NV. Travolta also celebrated the Breitling Jet Team’s first-ever performance at the historic races, as part of their inaugural North American Tour.
“I want to thank Mr. Travolta for taking time out of his busy filming schedule to join us here in Reno.” said Thierry Prissert, Breitling USA President. “It was thrilling to have him watch the races and the Jet Team’s performance, because he is as passionate about aviation as Breitling is, which is why he has been our partner for so many years.”
John Travolta has been an ambassador to Breitling for more than 10 years, after being introduced to the brand when he became interested in aviation. He, along with a select group of international guests of Breitling attended the exclusive weekend celebrating aviation, which included the races, and flights with the Breitling Jet Team and World Aerobatics Champion David Martin. Another highlight of the weekend was a celebration honoring a class of Top Gun Instructors from the nearby base in Fallon, NV with a presentation of Breitling watches given to them by John Travolta, former Astronaut Mark Kelly and Admiral Timothy J. Keating.
“There is a lot of history associated with the National Championship Air Races, and they are recognized all over the world for the skill they demand of pilots,” Breitling Jet Team leader Jacques Bothelin said. “Because of that, it is one of the events on our tour that we, as a team, looked forward to performing in Reno since the schedule was announced.”
Breitling has long been a presenting sponsor of the National Championship Air Races, one of the premier air racing events in the U.S. The races draw aviation enthusiasts from around the world who share a love for the “world’s fastest motorsport.”
The Breitling Jet Team is the world’s largest professional civilian flight team performing in jets, and is comprised of seven L-39 C Albatros jets that can reach speeds of up to 565 mph. This is the first year that the team toured North America with performances in both the U.S. and Canada. The Team recently announced that, due to the success of this year’s North American Tour, they will be returning again in 2016.
The precision and skill demonstrated by the team embodies Breitling’s ties to aviation. Since developing onboard chronographs for airplane cockpits, including World War II propeller-driven fighter planes, Breitling has been known as the authentic partner of aviation. This reputation was solidified in 1952, when Breitling launched its legendary Navitimer wrist chronograph featuring a circular slide rule serving to perform all navigation-related calculations.
A cult object for pilots and aviation enthusiasts, it has been continuously manufactured for more than 60 years – making it the world’s oldest mechanical chronograph still in production. Other favorites among pilots are the Aerospace watch, which was launched in 1985, and the innovative Emergency timepiece with a built-in transmitter that was originally introduced in 1995 and was recently updated to a new version that was launched in the U.S. in 2015 and is the world’s first wristwatch with a dual frequency locator beacon. To celebrate the Breitling Jet Team’s American Tour, Breitling has produced a Chronomat 44 in a limited 500 pieces, the dial is distinguished in eye-catching Breitling Jet Team colors, with the American Tour logo engraved on the caseback. The case houses Breitling’s in-house caliber 01 movement, officially chronometer-certified by the COSC.