Breitling’s recent Navitimer work has been at its strongest when it leans into the model’s 1960s language rather than trying to modernise it out of recognition.
Now two of the most collector-facing versions are no longer being treated as occasional commemorative pieces.
The Navitimer B02 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaute and the Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41 have joined the core collection, bringing hand-wound movements, 41mm steel cases and the gold Twin Jet logo into the regular catalogue.
At a glance
- Breitling has added the Navitimer B02 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaute and Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41 to its core collection.
- Both watches use hand-wound COSC-certified chronograph movements with 70 hours of power reserve.
- Prices start at £6,750 for the B09 on strap, while the Cosmonaute starts at £7,950 on leather.
The Cosmonaute becomes a regular Navitimer
The Cosmonaute is the more unusual of the pair, and the one with the deeper story.
Its defining feature is a 24-hour dial, with the hour hand completing one full rotation per day rather than two.
That format traces back to the Navitimer worn by Scott Carpenter in orbit in 1962, when the distinction between morning and evening mattered in an environment where sunrise arrived roughly every 90 minutes.
The new Navitimer B02 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaute keeps the black dial and white reverse-panda counters, with a date tucked into the 6 o’clock subdial and colour-matched to preserve the layout.
Inside is Breitling’s manufacture calibre B02, a hand-wound column-wheel chronograph with a vertical clutch, 273 components and a 70-hour power reserve.
Breitling says this is the first time in its modern history that the Cosmonaute has been offered outside an anniversary or limited-production context.
A hand-wound B09 for the purist Navitimer
The Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41 is the more direct expression of the classic Navitimer formula.
It drops the date, keeps the slide-rule bezel, and uses a hand-wound B09 calibre with column-wheel chronograph architecture and 244 components.
The watch is offered with black or blue reverse-panda dials, each paired with a white rehaut and contrasting subdials.
Breitling links this version to the 1960s Navitimers worn by Jim Clark and Graham Hill, both racing drivers who also flew and would have understood the model’s aviation tool-watch origins.
Removing the rotor and date gives the B09 a cleaner period feel, even if the listed thickness of 13mm keeps the difference from the automatic B01 Chronograph 41 relatively modest.
Case, bracelet and pricing
Both new Navitimers use a 41mm stainless steel case measuring 13mm thick and 47.09mm lug to lug.
The shared package includes a bidirectional slide-rule bezel, cambered sapphire crystal with coating on both sides, sapphire display caseback and a non-screw-down crown.
Water resistance is 30 metres, which suits the Navitimer’s cockpit-instrument character more than any aquatic pretence.
The Twin Jet logo appears in gold on both models, a detail tied to Breitling’s use of the emblem from 1957 and its appearance on Navitimer dials from 1965.
Strap options include brown gradient calf leather for the Cosmonaute and black B09, blue gradient calf leather for the blue B09, and a seven-row stainless steel bracelet with alternating satin and polished links.
The Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41 is priced at £6,750 on strap or £7,150 on bracelet.
The Navitimer B02 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaute is priced at £7,950 on leather or £8,150 on bracelet.
Details & Specifications
| Specification | Navitimer B02 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaute | Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41 |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Breitling | Breitling |
| Collection | Navitimer | Navitimer |
| Case size | 41mm | 41mm |
| Case thickness | 13mm | 13mm |
| Lug to lug | 47.09mm | 47.09mm |
| Case material | Stainless steel | Stainless steel |
| Dial | Black 24-hour dial with white reverse-panda counters | Black or blue reverse-panda dial with white rehaut and subdials |
| Movement | Breitling manufacture calibre B02 | Breitling calibre B09 |
| Winding | Hand-wound | Hand-wound |
| Chronograph | Column wheel with vertical clutch | Column wheel |
| Components | 273 | 244 |
| Frequency | 4Hz | 4Hz |
| Certification | COSC certified | COSC certified |
| Power reserve | 70 hours | 70 hours |
| Water resistance | 30 metres | 30 metres |
| Crystal | Cambered sapphire coated on both sides | Cambered sapphire coated on both sides |
| Caseback | Sapphire display caseback | Sapphire display caseback |
| Crown | Non-screw-down | Non-screw-down |
| Strap or bracelet | Brown gradient calf leather with folding clasp or seven-row steel bracelet | Black or blue gradient calf leather with folding clasp or seven-row steel bracelet |
| Price | £7,950 on leather or £8,150 on bracelet | £6,750 on strap or £7,150 on bracelet |
| Availability | Core collection from 22 October | Core collection from 22 October |
For collectors who like the Navitimer at its most historically coherent, the move matters because it makes these watches part of the living range rather than periodic objects of scarcity.
The B09 gives the standard Navitimer a welcome hand-wound option, but the Cosmonaute feels like the bigger shift, turning one of Breitling’s most distinctive space-age references into a watch that can finally be bought as part of the collection rather than chased as a limited release.
