Matt Clymo 
Breitling celebrates the centenary of Astronaut Scott Carpenter’s birth, one of NASA’s pioneering astronauts who flew the Mercury-Atlas 7 mission in 1962 with the first Swiss wristwatch in space, the Navitimer Cosmonaute.
The Mercury Project was a key program for NASA back in the 1960s. The cold war with Russia was on, and so was the space race. Project Mercury was developed as a precursor to the Apollo program in an effort for America to have the first man in space, and more importantly, to get one up on Russia at a time of tension. This wasn’t to be, however, as Russia got there first, but only just, as Cosmonaute Yuri Gagarin became the first human to ever go to space and orbit the earth. One month later, Alan Shepard became the first American in space on May 5, 1961, aboard the Mercury Program’s Freedom 7. While that flight was sub-orbital, it technically didn’t count and wasn’t until John Glenn did a full orbital flight on February 20, 1962, could the United States officially say they sent a man into space.
Several months later, on May 24th 1962, American Astronaut Scott Carpenter set off into space to complete three orbits of the Earth in Aurora 7, as part of the Mercury-Atlas 7 mission, becoming only the second American to do so, and on his wrist was a specially designed, one of a kind watch – a modified Breitling Navitimer that would become to be known as the Cosmonaute, and also the first ever Swiss wristwatch in space.
The Original Cosmonaute
Scott Carpenter’s original Navitimer was damaged after splashdown due to saltwater corrosion on the dial. He spent three hours in a liferaft waiting to be picked up after landing 460 km off course in the Atlantic. In that time, the salt had penetrated the watch and in doing so, gave it an otherworldly look. Maybe a fitting end to it. Now it lives in Breitling’s archives and makes rare appearances from time to time.
What was different about Scott Carpenter’s Navitimer and why? The needs of a watch in space differ to that of a conventional pilot, so Carpenter wrote to Breitling asking for a custom Navitimer with a few special modifications: a wider bezel for use with gloved hands, a stretch-metal bracelet to fit over his space suit, and, most famously – a 24-hour dial. In orbit, where the sun rises and sets every 90 minutes, this 24-hour display would keep him grounded in time. And this would be what set the Navitimer Cosmonaute apart from its conventional cousin.
Celebrating A Legend
All the Astronauts of the Mercury and Apollo programs are now etched into history. Without them, heading to space, landing on the moon, the ISS and now the ventures of Space X and Horizon Blue would not have been possible. Scott Carpenter is one of those legends and especially so when it comes to Breitling as if not for him, the Navitimer Cosmonaute may never have been born. So, it is fitting that Breitling has decided to celebrate what would have been Scott Carpenter’s 100th birthday with a new, limited edition of just 50 pieces, Breitling Navitimer Cosmonaute.
For this piece, Breitling has opted to make the 41mm case from Platinum, giving it a weighty feel and elevating the feel on the wrist. The dial takes its blue hue from how Earth is viewed from space, what Scott Carpenter would have seen while orbiting the Earth from Atlas 7. The white slide rule and sub-dials take inspiration from the look of the clouds floating over Earth, as seen from above, but also gives the watch enhanced legibility.
Around the dial, you have all the major design features you would expect on a Navitimer Chronograph with subdials at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock for the chronograph minutes, hours and running seconds. Rather than the 1-12 hour markers, these are replaced by the 24-hour markers that help make this a Cosmonaute, the same alteration that Scott Carpenter requested on his so he could track the time more accurately while orbiting the earth. At the 12 o’clock position is the winged logo of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) – highlighting the Navitimer’s historic role as the official watch of the world’s largest pilots’ club since its development in 1952.
Flipping the watch over, the manual winding Calibre B02 Chronograph powers the watch. Why manual? it stays true to the manual winding movement that was in Scott Carpenter’s original Navitimer as automatic watches do not work in space. On the movement, you will see several nods to Scott Carpenter and the Mercury-Atlas 7. It has several unique bridge engravings to commemorate Carpenter with the inscriptions “Carpenter,” his capsule “Aurora 7,” “3 orbits around the Earth,” and the name of NASA’s first astronaut group “Mercury 7.” Additional case back engravings read “First Swiss wristwatch in space,” “One of 50,” and “Scott Carpenter Centenary 1925-2025.”
Initial Thoughts
I’ve been rekindling my love of Navitimers a little bit lately. They were always a model that I liked, but never, for one reason or another ended up procuring. I’ve had other Breitling watches, but not the iconic Navitimer, and maybe I’ll need to rectify this sometime in the future. This new Navitimer Cosmonaute does tick a lot of boxes for me as someone who appreciates the design and story of the Navitimer. The 41mm size is a great size for these pieces, the Platinum case will make this feel just that little more weighty and luxurious and the colour combinations, while not groundbreaking, is still good looking nonetheless.
When you look into the back story of the Navitimer Cosmonaute, you also realise why this watch exists, and how it differs from the traditional Navitimer. Thanks to Scott Carpenter and his need for a very specific tool watch, the Cosmonaute was born. And this is a fitting tribute to the man and the original watch from 1962 with some nice subtle design cues that say this is different and unique, without being too overly loud about it. And that is the way it should be.
NAVITIMER B02 CHRONOGRAPH 41 COSMONAUTE SCOTT CARPENTER CENTENARY
Reference: LB0240211C1P1
Specifications:
- Dimensions: 41mm x 13mm thick x 47.09mm lug-to-lug
- Case Material: Brushed and polished Platinum with a bidirectional circular slide rule bezel
- Dial: Blue with white contrasting chronograph counters, Super-LumiNova® luminescent hour and minute hands
- Crystal: Cambered sapphire, glare-proofed on both sides
- Movement: Breitling in-house Manufacture Calibre B02 Manual winding chronograph. Beating at 4Hz / 28,800 VpH, pivoting on 39 jewels.
- Power Reserve: Approx. 70 hours.
- Water Resistance: 30m (3 bar)
- Strap: Blue alligator leather strap with an 18K white gold folding buckle
