![\"Breitling](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/02_Navitimer-B02-Chronograph-41-Cosmonaute-Artemis-II_Ref.AB02307A1C1P1_RGB-scaled.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nThe Navitimer Cosmonaute Artemis II, with its meteorite dial and signature slide rule bezel<\/p>\n
It is especially fitting, given that the Cosmonaute occupies a very special place in the story of space exploration. When the Navitimer was first developed in 1952, it had a clear goal: to serve aviators not just as a chronograph, but as a flight-worthy wrist-worn instrument. Indeed, at a time before computers were the norm, it was a mechanical aviation computer that let pilots calculate speed, intervals, fuel consumption et al, thanks to its signature circular slide rule. It proved incredibly practical and useful, and amongst its loyal fans are not just pilots, but also aviators of a different order.<\/p>\n
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Astronaut Scott Carpenter was one such fan. He was familiar with the Navitimer and its computational slide rule, and he wanted a special watch purpose-built to his needs. Specifically, he wanted to be able to distinguish day from night in the midst of cosmic disorientation, where the sun rises and sets every 90 minutes.<\/p>\n
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Breitling built him just such a watch: the Cosmonaute.<\/p>\n
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A Navitimer for Space<\/p>\n
It was based on the trusty Navitimer, designed to Scott Carpenter\u2019s specifications with a 24-hour display on the dial instead of the usual 12. And on May 24, 1962, Carpenter wore his Navitimer as he orbited Earth three times aboard the Aurora 7 spacecraft, making it the first-ever Swiss wristwatch in space. It would have been the first space watch ever, except it was beaten by the Sturmanskie timepiece worn by Soviet spaceman Yuri Gagarin in 1961 during his Vostok 1 mission. Carpenter\u2019s customized watch became the Ref. 809 which was later released in various variants.<\/p>\n
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Sized for everyday wear, the 41mm Cosmonaute translates its spaceflight origins to the wrist<\/p>\n Carpenter was not the only spaceman who wore the Navitimer. Both John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth, and James McDivitt, commander of the Gemini 4 and Apollo 9 missions, wore Navitimers, specifically the Cosmonaute. On the Artemis II, mission commander Reid Wiseman was spotted with a Cosmonaute on his wrist.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n In 2022, 60 years after its maiden outing in space, Breitling also released a 362-piece limited edition, referencing the three cosmic orbits and the year 1962. The 41mm Cosmonaute featured an all-black dial with the requisite 24-hour display, framed by a platinum bezel, and was powered by the manual-winding B02 caliber. On that occasion, Breitling took the opportunity to display Carpenter\u2019s original watch, which had been in its archives.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Two years later in 2024, for Breitling\u2019s 140th anniversary, the Cosmonaute made another appearance. This time, it was limited to 250 pieces in a striking 18-karat red gold case with black dial and green accents, as well as an important upgrade to the Caliber B12 automatic movement, a first for the Cosmonaute. Last year saw the 50-piece blue-dialed platinum edition that celebrated the centenary of Carpenter\u2019s birth.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Shoot for the Moon<\/p>\n Apart from being perfectly timed to mark the success of the Artemis II mission and ride its wave, the Breitling Navitimer Cosmonaute Artemis II is a pretty compelling proposition in itself. Its meteorite dial is, of course, the biggest draw. We have seen the tremendous popularity of meteorite dials for a few years now, and Breitling doesn\u2019t disappoint on its execution.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The galaxy-blue meteorite dial, each one uniquely patterned by nature<\/p>\n Meteorite is made up of primarily iron and nickel, and bears a natural crisscrossing pattern when etched or cut. No two meteorite dials are therefore exactly alike. For the Navitimer Cosmonaute Artemis II, Breitling has given it a deep glowing midnight blue, framed by a black slide rule and paired with bold white Super-Luminova-filled markers, numerals and hands, and an engine-red chronograph seconds hand.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n