Breitling celebrates its history of space exploration with 50-piece limited-edition Navitimer Cosmonaute

Navitimer B02 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaute Scott Carpenter Centenary on wrist

Breitling is marking what would’ve been astronaut Scott Carpenter’s 100th birthday with a tribute that’s as rare as it is meaningful – a 50-piece platinum Navitimer Cosmonaute. It’s a nod to a milestone moment in both space and watch history: the first Swiss wristwatch in space.

First, a little history lesson. On 24 May 1962, Carpenter became the second American to orbit Earth as part of NASA’s Mercury-Atlas 7 mission. On his wrist was a custom-built Breitling Navitimer, adapted for life in zero gravity. It had a 24-hour dial, a stretch-metal bracelet to fit over his spacesuit, and a wider bezel for gloved hands – changes he personally requested. Breitling’s Willy Breitling made it happen just days before launch.

Six decades on, Breitling is celebrating that legacy with the Navitimer B02 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaute Scott Carpenter Centenary.

It’s powered by the manually wound B02 calibre with a 24-hour display, just like the original. You can see it ticking away through the sapphire caseback, engraved with tributes to Carpenter, his Aurora 7 capsule, and the Mercury 7 astronaut group.

The watch face channels Earth from orbit – a deep blue dial for the planet, a crisp white slide rule for the clouds.

This is also reflected in the matching blue alligator strap. It’s topped off with a white-gold clasp and presented in a wooden box, alongside a replica of Carpenter’s Mercury 7 name badge.

Breitling CEO Georges Kern said, “Willy Breitling didn’t hesitate when Scott Carpenter asked for a watch built for space; he made it happen. That spirit – being innovative, taking risks, pushing limits – is how we still operate today.”

The original Cosmonaute was water-damaged during Carpenter’s Atlantic splashdown and lay untouched in Breitling’s archives for decades, finally re-emerging in 2022. It was recently displayed as part of the brand’s 140th-anniversary museum pop-up in Zurich, its corroded dial now resembling the surface of an alien world.

Only 50 of these platinum Navitimer Cosmonaute centenary edition exist – and it’s available now for $42,000 / £34,500.

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As Buying Guide Editor, Spencer is responsible for all e-commerce content on Stuff, overseeing buying guides as well as covering deals and new product launches. Spencer has been writing about consumer tech for over eight years. He has worked on some of the biggest publications in the UK, where he covered everything from the emergence of smartwatches to the arrival of self-driving cars. During this time, Spencer has become a seasoned traveller, racking up air miles while travelling around the world reviewing cars, attending product launches, and covering every trade show known to man, from Baselworld and Geneva Motor Show to CES and MWC. While tech remains one of his biggest passions, Spencer also enjoys getting hands-on with the latest luxury watches, trying out new grooming kit, and road-testing all kinds of vehicles, from electric scooters to supercars.