In the 1960s, space exploration spurred a race for the first astronaut's watch.
Breitling's expertise in pilot's watches had Scott Carpenter asking the Swiss brand to modify the Navitimer for the Mercury-Atlas 7 mission.
On May 24, 1962, the Navitimer Cosmonaute became the "first Swiss wristwatch in space" as Carpenter, wearing the watch, orbited the Earth three times.
The only other Swiss timepiece to have previously reached orbit was a pocket stopwatch equipped with a strap.
The 60th anniversary of the Mercury-Atlas 7 mission is celebrated by a commemorative model limited to 362 pieces and the first-ever public viewing of the watch Carpenter wore into space.
The mission marked a crucial step in manned spaceflight. Five hours after launch, the Aurora 7 space capsule with Carpenter aboard splashed down safely in the Atlantic. The recovery operation lasted three hours, with the long exposure to seawater resulting in irreparable damage to his watch.
Breitling replaced it with another Cosmonaute, while the battered and corroded timepiece remained unrestored and widely unknown in the family archives.
This new model honours the aesthetics of the original Cosmonaute, with subtle updates giving it a modern-retro appeal.
The "first Swiss wristwatch in space" and a Cosmonaute once owned by John Glenn were exhibited to a group of watch enthusiasts and journalists at Breitling's space-themed event held recently in Zurich.
Based on the Navitimer launched in 1952, the Cosmonaute featured a circular slide rule for performing mathematical calculations, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association "wings" logo, and three chronograph subdials. The difference was a 24-hour dial to tell day from night in space.
Matched with a black alligator strap or stainless-steel bracelet, the Navitimer B02 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaute Limited Edition is a faithful reproduction of the original with subtle updates that render a modern-retro appeal.
Made from stainless steel and platinum, the 41mm case has a platinum bidirectional bezel featuring the hallmark circular slide rule.
Navitimer B02 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaute Limited Edition.
The black dial is designed with tone-on-tone chronograph counters, Super-LumiNova luminescent indexes as well as hour and minute hands.
The sapphire crystal caseback reveals the COSC-certified Breitling Manufacture Caliber B02 providing a power reserve of 70 hours.
Engravings on the movement's bridge include "Carpenter", "Aurora 7", and "3 orbits around the Earth", along with "Mercury 7", the name of the original group of seven astronauts chosen for Nasa's first human-crewed spaceflights.
As a final tribute, the caseback is engraved with the date of Carpenter's mission and the phrase "First Swiss wristwatch in space".
Scott Carpenter inside the Aurora 7 space capsule atop the Atlas rocket.
Navitimer B02 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaute Limited Edition.
