Navitimer B12 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaute

140 Years of Firsts: Cosmonaute B12

Breitling honors its space icon with a new release: the Navitimer limited-edition self-winding Cosmonaute.

As Breitling turns 140, it’s marking the occasion with stories of its many incredible firsts, from breakthroughs in timekeeping for air, land, and sea, to milestones in sustainability. This month, the brand recognizes one of its icons. The Cosmonaute, a 24-hour take on the Navitimer that became the first Swiss wristwatch in space. Breitling has just unveiled a new version of this line: a new self-winding Cosmonaute.

“All this year, we’ll be talking about our 140 Years of Firsts,” says Georges Kern, CEO of Breitling. “And when it comes to the Cosmonaute, you cannot overstate the significance they’ve had for our brand, for aviation, and for watchmaking as a whole.”

GROUNDED ELEGANCE: THE SELF-WINDING COSMONAUTE B12

In 1962, Mercury Seven astronaut Scott Carpenter approached Breitling with a unique request: to modify the Navitimer’s design for space exploration. Admiring its computational prowess, Carpenter asked for a 24-hour dial to distinguish day from night in orbit. Breitling met the challenge, and the customized Navitimer, later dubbed the Cosmonaute, accompanied Carpenter on his May 24, 1962, mission to become the first Swiss wristwatch in space.