Breitling held an event to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Navitimer Cosmonaut in Zurich, Switzerland on May 24th. The event, broadcast live online and worldwide, includes brand CEO Georges Kern, former NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, and Gregory Bra, son of Willie Breitling (grandson of founder Leon Breitling). Various figures including Gregory Breitling participated and made the event brighter. Attending panelists talked about the past 60 years, from the birth of Cosmonaut, known as ‘the first Swiss wristwatch to enter space’, to the new Navitimer B02 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaut Limited Edition commemorating him today. This genie has been reminded of its historical significance.

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On May 24, 1962, just 60 years before the event was held, astronaut Scott Carpenter flew aboard Mercury-Atlas 7 and orbited the Earth three times, making it the sixth in the world and 4 in the United States. He left his mark in history as the first person to fly into space. Breitling’s Cosmonaut shared that historic moment with Scott Carpenter. At that time, mankind was looking beyond the sky to the universe, and the competition between great powers for him was reminiscent of a war on the other hand. On the other hand, the race to hold the astronauts’ wrists was fierce. Leading watchmakers were put to the test by making watches for use in space, and replica Breitling stood out based on its expertise accumulated through leading pilot watches such as the Chronomat and Navitimer. Scott Carpenter, recognizing this at the time, asked Breitling for a watch that could tell the Earth’s day and night in pitch-black space. Breitling would create a separate watch to suit Scott Carpenter’s needs, including a 24-hour dial based on the navitimer worn by Scott Carpenter and modifying the mechanism accordingly. Cosmonaut, a spin-off of Navitimer, was born. For reference, the first time the Omega Speedmaster went to space in Sigma 7 with astronaut Walter Schirra was on October 3, 1962. It was finally certified by NASA in 1965.
In 1962, the spacecraft Aurora 7, aboard Scott Carpenter at the time, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean after completing a circling flight. At this time, the cosmonut on his wrist was said to have been damaged beyond repair due to the impact of the ship’s crash and seawater. Breitling immediately provided him with a new watch, but the original watch was eventually never restored and fell asleep in the Breitling family archives. The watch, which was thought to have disappeared in the backyard, came out for the first time since then to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Cosmonaut. Although the exterior has been corroded to the extent that it cannot be recognized as a watch, the historical value it holds on the inside will not change. New for this year, the Navitimer B02 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaut Limited Edition is a tribute to Scott Carpenter and the original Cosmonaut at his wrist.
First impressions are similar to the Navitimer B01 Chronograph, which returned earlier this year with new wings. On the revived AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association) wing logo, the date window naturally sits at the 12 o’clock counter at 6 o’clock. The rotating slide rule through the navitimer has been changed from a slightly beveled shape to a flat one. The scale configuration that calculates the necessary information for the pilot, such as distance traveled, fuel consumption, and climb rate, is the same as before. The difference from the next-generation navitimer B01 chronograph is the 24-hour index, which again symbolizes Cosmonaut. The retro beige Super-LumiNova applied to each index and hour/minute hand to reproduce the original atmosphere also stands out.
Cases that emit a luxurious luster are familiar. From the distinctive bezel with a serrated side design for gloved operation, to the classic pushbuttons and chamfered rugs for a three-dimensional feel, it’s a no-brainer. Unlike the past, the sapphire crystal glass that covers the dial is made in the shape of a slightly raised dome. This gives the case and dial a more three-dimensional look. The case material is stainless steel, but the serrated bezel is specially crafted from platinum. The size is 41mm in diameter. The elements that have been well-received in the next-generation Navitimer are reflected as they are. The same goes for the sapphire crystal caseback, which reveals the movement. On the rim of the case back, the words “May 24, 1967,” the fateful day, and “the first Swiss wristwatch that went to space” were engraved to highlight the special meaning of Cosmonaut. If the case waterproof specification is still 30m, it may be disappointing.
The movement is a manual in-house chronograph caliber B02. Based on the B09, a manual redesign of Breitling’s representative B01, the time display system has been modified from the usual 12 o’clock to 24 o’clock. This means that the hour hand rotates once per day to the 24-hour dial. The chronograph manipulator follows the same modern design of the column wheel and vertical clutch combination as the base. The specs are also unchanged. It has a frequency of 28,800 vph per hour and a power reserve of 70 hours. As a Breitling-manufactured movement, of course, it is certified by the Swiss Official Chronometer (COSC). The bridge that supported the main parts was engraved with a mark pointing to the Mercury 7 projectile and Aurora 7 spacecraft that shared history with Cosmonaut, the name of Scott Carpenter, and the inscription that it orbited the Earth three times.
The Navitimer B02 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaut Limited Edition is available with a black alligator leather strap with white stitching or a steel bracelet with seven-row links. Regardless of the strap option, the product will be limited to 362 pieces worldwide. The price is 14.07 million won for the strap model (Ref. PB02301A1B1A1) and 14.55 million won for the bracelet version (Ref. PB02301A1B1P1). The number ‘362’ in the limited edition refers to ‘3’ the number of times Aurora 7 orbited the Earth and ‘62’ in 1962, when the space flight took place.