Zenith Sponsors Felix Baumgartner - Breaking Sound Barrier with Human Body

Zenith is greatly pleased to announce its partnership agreement with Felix Baumgartner, the Austrian pilot, champion parachutist, and record-breaking BASE jumper. The brand will act as one of the major sponsors the pilot during a unique project, dubbed Red Bull Stratos.

Felix Baumgartner intends to jump out of a capsule suspended from a helium balloon in the stratosphere. The jump will be performed at an altitude of about 36.5 km. It is remarkable that this altitude is four times higher than most passenger airplanes fly.

Felix Baumgartner wants to set four world records during this dangerous mission:

• the highest manned flight on a balloon,


• the highest leap,


• the longest freefall,


• the most exciting one - breaking the sound barrier with the human body for the first time in the history of mankind.

The pilot also intends to provide new research data for improved aerospace safety.

It is remarkable that while performing his exploit, the Felix Baumgartner will be wearing a Zenith watch to become the first to break the sound barrier, and guarantee supreme reliability under extreme conditions, including extreme temperature, pressure, friction, speed, impacts, etc. At present moment, the team of Zenith watchmakers is working on the development of a model to be specially adapted to the jump. The watch will be named Zenith El Primero Stratos.

If the mission is successful, the Zenith watch will become the first to cross the sound barrier in direct contact with the outside environment.

The extraordinary project is supported by Red Bull and a team of best scientists and specialists. After the capsule suspended from the balloon reaches the stratosphere, the courageous pilot will attempt a freefall within the first 37 seconds at speeds of about 1,100 km/h. He hopes to reach this amazing speed as air resistance in the stratosphere is much lower than at smaller altitudes.

The celebrity pilot will be protected by a pressurized space suit. The jump is extremely dangerous as it is difficult to predict how the human body will react at crossing the sound barrier. It will be a true challenge to control his body position during the rapid acceleration implied by the freefall.

The exact date of the jump is not established yet but Felix Baumgartner intends to perform the feat before the end of 2010.

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