BREITLING – NAVITIMER B02 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaute Scott Carpenter Centenary Platinum 140th Limited Edition Anniversary 2025
BREITLING MARKS SCOTT CARPENTER’S
CENTENARY WITH PLATINUM
NAVITIMER COSMONAUTE
To celebrate 100 years since the birth of the American spaceflight pioneer, Breitling unveils the 50-piece limited-edition Navitimer Cosmonaute – the first Swiss wristwatch in space.
Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO
On May 24, 1962, Scott Carpenter orbited the Earth three times as part of NASA’s Mercury-Atlas 7 mission – becoming only the second American to do so. On his wrist: a one-of-a-kind Navitimer, custom-built by Breitling for space.
Its chronograph and signature slide rule had made it an indispensable tool in the cockpit. But space called for something different.
Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO
Prior to his mission, 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.
It was a challenge that third-generation founder Willy Breitling couldn’t refuse. The result was the Navitimer Cosmonaute. Delivered just days before lift-off, it became the first Swiss wristwatch in space.
The new Navitimer B02 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaute Scott Carpenter Centenary celebrates 100 years since the late astronaut’s birth on May 1, 1925. The deep blue dial evokes the color of Earth as seen from space – vivid, saturated, and unforgettable – while the crisp white slide rule recalls its swirling cloud cover.
That same blue carries through to the matching alligatorleather strap, secured with a white-gold folding buckle. Limited to just 50 pieces, this edition is the ultimate tribute to Carpenter and his historic Mercury-Atlas 7 mission.
Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO
“Breitling has been part of some of the most important moments in watchmaking, but sending the first Swiss wristwatch into space is one of our proudest achievements,” said Georges Kern, CEO of Breitling. “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.”
Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO
Astronaut Scott Carpenter in front of an F-10610_Jan. 1961. Photo credit NASA
THE CENTENARY COSMONAUTE
The Navitimer B02 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaute Scott Carpenter Centenary is powered by the Breitling Manufacture Caliber B02, a manual chronograph with a 24-hour display. The handwound movement isn’t just a tribute to the original – it also performs where automatics may falter. Not essential for most, but reassuring if the next trip involves zero gravity.
The COSC-certified movement offers approximately 70 hours of power reserve and is visible through the sapphire crystal caseback.
At 12 o’clock, the dial bears 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.
Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO
The watch features three subdials for running seconds, chronograph minutes, and hours, along with a discreet date window at 6 o’clock. Mushroom pushers ensure smooth operation, while a bright red chronograph seconds hand enhances legibility when measuring elapsed times.
CUSTOM-MADE FOR CARPENTER
The original Cosmonaute was damaged upon splashdown. After landing 250 nautical miles (460 km) off course in the Atlantic, Carpenter spent three hours in a life raft awaiting rescue. During that time, salt water corroded the dial.
Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO
Scott Carpenter, prime pilot for the Mercury-Atlas 7 mission, being recovered from the Atlantic Ocean. Photo credit NASA.
Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO
Willy Breitling replaced the watch, and the original remained in the brand’s archives – untouched and unseen – until 2022, when it made its first public appearance for the 60th anniversary of Carpenter’s mission. It was later displayed at Breitling’s Then & Now pop-up museum in Zurich as part of the brand’s 140th anniversary. Fittingly, the corrosion on the dial has taken on the appearance of a distant planetary surface.
To celebrate the new limited edition and the final week of Breitling’s 140th-anniversary pop-up museum, a special event was held on site. There, Willy Breitling’s son Gregory – who had been just a boy when the Cosmonaute was created – shared the story. His recollections offered a rare glimpse into the decision-making, creativity, and sheer speed with which his father responded to Scott Carpenter’s request.
Though damaged, that original endures as a powerful artifact from the dawn of space exploration and a bold new direction in Swiss watchmaking. With the new centenary edition, Breitling revives a pioneering timepiece, while inviting a new generation to rediscover the spirit of adventure that carried Scott Carpenter into orbit, and into history.
----------------------------------------
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO
Reference: LB0240211C1P1 - Platinum
MOVEMENT
Caliber: Breitling Manufacture Caliber B02
Diameter: 30.4 millimeters
Depth: 6.83 millimeters
Winder: self-winding mechanical, bidirectional with ball bearing
Power reserve: approx. 70 hours
Number of components: 273
Balance frequency: 28,800 a/h or 4 hertz
Chronograph: Chronograph: column-wheel, vertical clutch, 1/4th second, 30-minute and 12-hour totalizers
Display: hour, minute, second, date window
Certification: COSC-certified
CASE
Material: Platinum
Diameter: 41 millimeters
Thickness: 13.6 millimeters
Height (upper lug tip to lower lug tip): 47.09 millimeters
Water resistance: up to 3 bar (30 meters)
Glass: cambered sapphire, glareproofed on both sides
Caseback: screwed platinum, sapphire crystal
Crown: non-screw-locked, two gaskets
Bezel: platinum, bidirectional with circular slide rule
DIAL/HANDS
Blue with white contrasting chronograph counters
Super-LumiNova® luminescent hour and minute hand
STRAP
Blue alligator leather strap with an 18K white gold folding buckle
🔰Limited edition of 50 pieces
🔴 #BREITLING 🔴 #NAVITIMER🔴 #BREITLINGcosmonaute
🔴 #BREITLINGNavitimer 🔴 #BREITLINGchronograph
Year: 2025
PRICE -Excl. Sales Tax EUR 42,000 / USD 42,000.💰
Warranty Duration (Years): 5
+3 years Mechanical Manufacture Breitling Movements
------------------------------------------
Press Release - 2025
--------------------------------------------
ROMY HEBDEN
Head of Public Relations
BREITLING SA
Schlachthausstrasse 2
2540 Grenchen
Switzerland
Telephone: +41 32 654 54 54
Mobile: +41 79 731 90 28
E-mail: romy.hebden@breitling.com
--------------------------------------------------
www.facebook.com - Breitling
------------------------------------------------------
www.Breitling.com