Breitling’s iconic pilot’s chronograph—fit for space travel. By the early 1960s, Breitling’s Navitimer, with its circular slide rule for performing in-flight calculations, had become the undisputed pilots’ watch. But in the era of the Space Race, another competition was quietly underway, this time between watchmakers vying to be the first on astronauts’ wrists. Breitling showed its chops in the air once again, officially becoming the first Swiss wrist-worn chronograph in space on May 24th, 1962, when Scott Carpenter blasted off in the Mercury-Atlas 7 spacecraft wearing the Navitimer Cosmonaute. The watch was his personal request, a variation on the iconic Navitimer with the addition of a 24-hour dial to distinguish day from night in orbit. Mercury-Atlas 7 circled the earth three times before it splashed down in the Atlantic, making aeronautic—and watchmaking—history. Our Cosmonaute tribute, limited to 250 pieces, modernizes the aesthetics of the original with a green dial and 18 k red gold case. And this time, the main modification isn’t for zero-g but for everyday life: a self-winding chronograph movement, the Breitling manufacture caliber B12. As a further tribute, the caseback is engraved with Carpenter’s mission date, the limitation to 250 pieces and the phrase “First Swiss wristwatch in space.”
MOVEMENT
Caliber Breitling B12 (Manufacture)
Movement Self-winding mechanical
Power reserve Approx. 70 hrs
Chronograph 1/4th second, 30 minutes, 12 hours
Vibration 28,800 v.p.h
Jewel 47 jewels
Calendar Dial aperture
CASE
Case material 18k red gold
Caseback Screwed in (sapphire crystal)
Water resistance 3 bars
Bezel Bidirectional, slide rule
Crown Non screw-locked, two gaskets
Crystal Cambered sapphire, glareproofed both sides
DIMENSIONS
Product Weight (Approx.) 121.8 g.
Watch-head Weight (Approx.) 90.0 g.
Diameter 41.0 mm
Thickness 13.6 mm
Height (upper lug tip to lower lug tip) 47.0 mm
Lug width (in-between lug) 22.0 mm
STRAP
Strap material Alligator leather
Strap color Black
Strap type Straight
Lug 22/18 mm
Buckle Material 18k red gold
Buckle type Folding clasp
Buckle size 18 mm
RB12302A1L1P1
