- Breitling marks Scott Carpenter’s 100th birthday with a 50-piece platinum Navitimer Cosmonaute limited edition.
- The original Cosmonaute was custom-built for space during NASA’s Mercury-Atlas 7 mission.
- This modern tribute blends historic design with modern precision, celebrating one of the most iconic tool watches ever launched beyond Earth’s atmosphere.
Long before pilot watches became lifestyle accessories for movie sets, Breitling was supplying cockpit instruments to actual pilots during their daring navigations. Its chronographs were born in flight decks, not fashion campaigns.
The Navitimer, first launched in 1952, was built to help aviators calculate flight paths, fuel consumption, and speed, mid-flight, with nothing but a wrist flick and a slide rule, requiring the utmost precision, often at just a fleeting glance.
This is a brand that’s logged real hours, in jets, on carriers, and in space. And now, to mark 100 years since the birth of astronaut and test pilot Scott Carpenter, Breitling has unveiled a new Navitimer Cosmonaute: a 50-piece tribute to the man who wore the first Swiss wristwatch in space. The same brand, the same watch; perfectly refined for 2025, but still anchored to its pioneering past.
Breitling Release A Watch Built For Space, Not The Gram
On 24 May 1962, Carpenter became only the second American to orbit the Earth, completing three laps aboard NASA’s Mercury-Atlas 7 mission as the global Space Race was just in its infancy. For such a mission, Carpenter needed a wristwatch upon which he could rely: A custom-built Breitling Navitimer. The original Cosmonaute.
Today’s expression, the Navitimer B02 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaute Scott Carpenter Centenary, carries the same design language as its iconic predecessor: a crisp 24-hour dial, bold slide rule bezel, and purposeful layout designed for real-world function, not just form.
Every detail, from the manually wound movement to the mushroom pushers is reminiscent of the Swiss brand’s tool-watch ethos that defined the original Cosmonaute.
Only now, it’s rendered in platinum, matched with a deep blue dial to reflect the view of Earth from orbit, and finished with white slide rule bezel, a contrasting red chronograph seconds hand, and matching blue alligator strap.
Only 50 Exist, Because Only One Was First
Just 50 pieces have been produced, each honouring not only the man behind the mission, but the pioneering moment that redefined Swiss watchmaking in the space age.
The caseback is engraved with a direct tribute: “First Swiss wristwatch in space. One of 50. Scott Carpenter Centenary 1925–2025.” Additional inscriptions reference Aurora 7, Carpenter’s capsule, and Mercury 7, NASA’s first astronaut group.
The watch is also accompanied by a replica of Carpenter’s original Mercury 7 name badge, a considered tribute to one of the most significant figures in aviation and exploration history.
A Legacy Secured
Breitling’s legacy in aviation is often understated, but never in question. Sure, there are other brands that will launch sweeping campaigns to remind horologists of their space credentials. But for pilots, astronauts, and serious collectors, the Breitling name continues to carry weight.
And the Cosmonaute, in particular, was never just another Navitimer. It was one of the earliest space-rated wristwatches: purpose-built for zero gravity, engineered with precision, and tested beyond the stratosphere.
After Carpenter’s 1962 splashdown, saltwater corrosion damaged the original dial. Breitling quietly replaced the watch, preserving the original, unrestored, in its archives. It resurfaced in 2022, its dial etched with the passage of time, less a flaw, more a badge of honour.
With this limited edition, Breitling revives that story for a new generation. It is a watch rooted in history, crafted with purpose, and limited by design. Not everything needs to be recreated. Some things simply need to be remembered with precision.
