Breitling Commemorates Aurora 7 Flight with Limited Edition Navitimer Cosmonaute

By Seth Semilof May 30, 2012

Fifty years ago, US astronaut Scott Carpenter led a voyage into space on board the Aurora 7. On this golden year, luxury Swiss watchmaker Breitling honors the monumental flight with the Limited Edition Navitimer Cosmonaute.

The historical date was May 24, 1962, when a Breitling Navitimer chronograph became the first of its kind to embark on a space conquest via the Aurora 7, which orbited the earth thrice.

“In 1962, I saw Australian pilots wearing a Breitling Navitimer, which had a unique feature at the time – a circular slide rule – a tool used often in flight for navigation and communication,” said then-Lt. Commander Scott Carpenter. “I asked Breitling to create a special version of the watch for me with a 24 hour dial so I was able to tell the time in space, whether it was day or night since it’s always dark. To have them honor me 50 years later with a custom watch in my honor is extremely special.”

The novel timepiece made its debut at an exclusive celebration for customers and VIPs including US astronauts Carpenter, Captain Mark Kelly and Russian Cosmonaute Sergey Volkov on May 24 at the brand’s US Flagship Boutique in New York.

The venue was aptly transformed into outer space, with a 10-foot tall Aurora 7 capsule replica, 26-feet tall graphic images of Carpenter from the 1962 trip and models in thematic costumes fused with Breitling’s signature colors. The other Breitling branch in Aventura, Florida and Lewis Diamonds & Timepieces in Texas reveled the piece through a live feed from New York. “Satellite party” is the more appropriate term.

As a commemorative gesture, Breitling USA President Thierry Prissert presented Carpenter with the first of the 1,962 Navitimer Cosmonaute pieces. The new Manufacture Breitling Caliber 02 alludes to the 1962 model with its 24-hour display and manual winding mode. Each exquisite piece features a manufactured movement that is completely developed in-house, and bears the Aurora 7 mission insignia on the case back.