Updated:
Readtime: 8 min
Every product is carefully selected by our editors and experts. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more. For more information on how we test products, click here.
- Breitling has added the manually wound Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41 and B02 Cosmonaute to its permanent collection, no longer reserving them for special releases.
- Both feature 41 mm steel cases, 1960s-inspired Twin Jet logos and in-house chronograph movements, but the Cosmonaute has the unusual spacefaring 24-hour dial.
- Australian prices start at AUD $10,890 for the B09 and AUD $16,090 for the Cosmonaute.
Breitling has moved two of its most peculiar hand-wound Navitimers from the special-occasion list into the main collection under The House of Brands. No longer restricted to limited-edition releases or commemorative celebrations, the Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41 and Navitimer B02 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaute have earned a permanent place alongside the Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43, Navitimer Automatic 41 and Navitimer Automatic GMT 41. For collectors who have been waiting around for the next anniversary special, the time is now.
Or if you’re someone like me, who took one look at the busy dial of the Navitimer format, looked at your wrist and thought, “I gotta get me one of those.” It’s always been one of my grail watches, but I’ve never quite settled on which reference I’d actually buy. Now I have two more contenders: one that brings back the familiar 1960s pilot’s chronograph, and another inspired by a 24-hour watch developed for an astronaut. Between Bell & Ross’ BR-03 Space Mission and Alexey Yakushik’s Yuri Gagarin – First in Space, space watches seem to be having their moment in the Sun.
Between both references, Breitling is challenging my decision-making skills. Both watches measure 41mm across and 13mm thick, with stainless-steel cases, circular slide-rule bezels, and gold Twin Jet logos. Powered by hand-wound movements with around 70 hours of power reserve, neither is particularly cheap: the B09 starts at AUD $10,890 in Australia, and the Cosmonaute starts at AUD $16,090. That’s quite a lot of money to spend winding a watch yourself, but for some collectors, that’s half the appeal. So what separates them, aside from that extra AUD $5,200 on the bill?
1/11Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41: Back to the Classic
The B09 is what most people probably picture in their minds when they think of a Navitimer. Its black or blue reverse-panda dial has three contrasting white chronograph counters, the familiar slide rule running around the edge and no date window to interrupt the layout. A gold Twin Jet logo, which first appeared on the Navitimer dial in 1965, completes the vintage comeback look.
Breitling drew plenty of inspiration from the 1960s Navitimers worn by racing drivers Jim Clark and Graham Hill, who also flew aircraft. It’s easy to see how a chronograph with a slide rule was the perfect pairing for two blokes who knew a thing or two about keeping track of speed, time and distance. And while I can’t claim the same driving prowess as those two, or our resident tame racing driver, Ben McKimm, I’d say it’s a perfect pairing for me too.
The blue version is the bolder choice of the two, with its sunburst dial and matching gradient calfskin strap offering a touch of colour without compromising the classic Navitimer look. For the more traditional look, the black dial comes on a brown gradient leather strap, although both can be fitted with Breitling’s seven-row stainless-steel bracelet.
Inside is the manually wound Manufacture Calibre B09, previously used in special releases, including September’s Miles Davis tribute. These new regular-production B09 models start at AUD $10,890 on leather, a full AUD $2,200 less than the limited edition’s starting price. Choose the steel bracelet, and it’s AUD $11,490. That’s another $600 for the metal bracelet.
Breitling Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41 – Key Specs
- Case: 41mm stainless steel
- Thickness: 13mm
- Movement: Breitling Manufacture Calibre B09, manual-wind
- Power Reserve: Approx. 70 hours
- Dial: Black or blue reverse panda
- Chronograph: 30-minute and 12-hour counters
- Water Resistance: 30 metres
- Strap: Gradient calfskin leather or seven-row steel bracelet
- Price: From AUD $10,890
1/20Navitimer B02 Cosmonaute: The One That Went to Space
While the Navitimer found fans among racing drivers, another version was rocketing towards something much farther afield: outer space. In 1962, American astronaut Scott Carpenter asked Breitling to adapt the Navitimer with a 24-hour dial for his Mercury-Atlas 7 mission. With the Sun rising and setting repeatedly during an orbit, a watch that could distinguish 02:00 from 14:00 was more useful than a conventional 12-hour display.
Carpenter wore the Cosmonaute into orbit on 24 May 1962, making it the first Swiss wristwatch in space, only a year after Yuri Gagarin became the first person to orbit Earth while wearing a Soviet-made Sturmanskie watch from the First Moscow Watch Factory. Yet most people still consider the Omega Speedmaster the quintessential space watch. Go figure.
But enough about who got there first. Let’s explore the watch, because even by Navitimer standards, this dial is busier than mission control. The Cosmonaute uses a full 24-hour display, meaning its hour hand makes just one trip around the dial each day, rather than the usual two. Large Arabic numerals mark out the hours, while three contrasting white chronograph counters sit inside the busy slide-rule markings. And in case it wasn’t busy enough, Breitling tucked the date display into the lower subdial.
The manually wound Manufacture Calibre B02 was built specifically for the modern Cosmonaute and shares the B09’s approximately 70-hour power reserve and modest 30-metre water resistance. So mind yourself in the water once you’ve splashed back down to Earth.
The Cosmonaute will set you back AUD $16,090 on brown gradient leather or AUD $16,590 on the seven-row steel bracelet. It sure costs a lot more than the B09, but you’re also paying for a dedicated 24-hour chronograph movement and a design with a genuine place in spaceflight history.
At least now, you won’t need a rocket to get your hands on one. Start by enquiring at your nearest Breitling boutique.
Breitling Navitimer B02 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaute – Key Specs
- Case: 41mm stainless steel
- Thickness: 13mm
- Movement: Breitling Manufacture Calibre B02, manual-wind
- Power Reserve: Approx. 70 hours
- Dial: Black, 24-hour display with date
- Chronograph: 30-minute and 12-hour counters
- Water Resistance: 30 metres
- Strap: Brown gradient calfskin leather or seven-row steel bracelet
- Price: From AUD $16,090
Choosing Between the B02 and B09
“The Navitimer has always evolved with the people who wear it,” says Georges Kern, CEO of House of Brands. With the B09 returning to its 1960s roots and the Cosmonaute bringing its spacefaring history into the modern collection, there’s plenty to choose from.
So where have I landed on the two? The B09 would probably be the easier one to live with on the wrist, and most certainly easier on the wallet. But with all that Cosmonaute history, the unusual display, and the badge of honour that comes with owning a watch that’s a direct descendant of the one built for outer space, it’s hard to ignore. At least while I’m saving up, I won’t have to chase down a limited edition to pull the trigger on my Navitimer grail.
Comments
We love hearing from you. or to leave a comment.