Breitling is making two hand-wound Navitimer chronographs permanent models: a 1960s-inspired B09 and a 24-hour Cosmonaute that traces its story back to Scott Carpenter’s 1962 orbital flight.
Breitling’s hand-wound Navitimers have mostly come out as limited editions, often sold out before many of us had a proper look. That is now changing. Two new manual-wind chronographs, the Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41 and the Navitimer B02 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaute, are joining the permanent core collection.
Both wear the 1960s Twin Jet logo in gold against a monochrome dial. Breitling says this is the first time in its modern history that neither model is tied to a commemoration or a limited run.
From the Cockpit to Orbit
The Navitimer began in 1952 as a tool for pilots. It combined a chronograph with a circular slide rule, so aviators could do calculations by turning the bezel and time flights with a pusher.
About ten years later, NASA astronaut Scott Carpenter asked for a version suited to space flight. Under Willy Breitling, the company added a 24-hour display, which made sense in orbit, where day and night no longer follow their usual pattern. Carpenter wore it on his Mercury-Atlas 7 flight on 24 May 1962. Breitling calls it the first Swiss wristwatch in space.
Cosmonaute: Twenty-Four Hours, Wound by Hand
The new Cosmonaute has a 41mm stainless-steel case. Inside is the manually wound Manufacture Caliber B02, a 24-hour chronograph movement that Breitling uses only in this model.
The date sits inside the lower subdial and matches its colour, so the dial stays symmetrical. Nice, if date windows usually spoil a clean layout for you. Buyers can choose a brown gradient calfskin strap with a folding clasp, or a seven-row steel bracelet with satin and polished finishes.
B09: A Navitimer With Racing Roots
The B09 Chronograph 41 is the first core-collection Navitimer to use the manual-wind Caliber B09. Until now, that movement only appeared in limited or commemorative pieces, the latest being the Navitimer Tribute to Miles Davis.
It takes its cue from the 1960s Navitimer worn by Jim Clark and Graham Hill. Both drivers also flew aircraft, and Breitling says they saw how useful the slide rule and chronograph could be at the track.
There are black and blue dials, each with contrasting white subdials in a “reverse panda” layout. Without a date and with a hand-wound calibre, the case can be slimmer, which Breitling says gives proportions closer to the originals. The black dial comes on brown gradient calf leather and the blue on matching blue leather. Both straps use folding clasps with release buttons, and either watch can also be fitted with the seven-row bracelet.
The Story Behind the Twin Jet Logo
Breitling has used the Twin Jet emblem since 1957, and it first appeared on a Navitimer dial in 1965. It was the civilian version of the logo used by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), whose emblem appeared on watches sold directly to its members.
A Daily Ritual Returns
Before automatic chronographs arrived in 1969, winding a chronograph was part of the daily routine. These two models bring that habit back to the regular range, with modern in-house movements and up-to-date specifications. The announcement does not include pricing.
Retro styling is nothing new for Breitling. The real change is that a hand-wound Navitimer no longer has to be caught on launch day. If you missed the earlier B09 editions, you can now buy one from the standard range.
