After the end of World War II, the 1950s were a decade of enthusiasm and development. The space race was no exception, with two superpowers competing in what was called the “Space Race.” The first success was achieved in 1957 by the Soviets, who launched Sputnik-1, the first satellite. On the American side, NASA was founded in 1958 and the Mercury program, with the first manned flights, began the same year. To carry out this program, seven astronaut candidates, the “Original Seven” were selected: Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Walter “Wally” Schirra, Alan Shepard and Donald K. Slayton.
June 1963, the ‘Original Seven”, the seven astronauts selected for the Mercury program. From left to right: Gordo Cooper, Wally Schirra, Alan Shepard, Gus Grissom, John Glenn, DK Slayton and Scott Carpenter with his Cosmonaute.
As the first human spaceflights were approaching, the question of astronaut equipment became increasingly important. Wristwatches were considered, as they were seen as a useful backup solution in case the primary systems failed. However, the astronaut office did not consider it necessary at that time to equip its astronauts with an official watch for missions. Many photos show astronauts wearing various watch models outside of missions, such as the Omega Speedmaster, Le Coultre 24-hour, or Bulova Accutron.
At the beginning of the Mercury project, Scott Carpenter traveled to Perth, Australia, in the framework of an unmanned test of the Atlas launch vehicle. While there, he flew with Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) pilots who wore watches with a rotating bezel serving as a circular slide rule: Breitling Navitimers. He was instantly captivated as he had never seen such a system on a watch before, and an idea began to form in his mind. Within the Mercury Program, each of the seven astronauts had a special responsibility, and Carpenter was in charge of developing navigation systems. He therefore thought that this watch was perfect for the program’s astronauts.
Upon his return, Carpenter contacted the Breitling teams to request modifications to the Navitimer for spaceflight:
- a 24-hour movement and time indication instead of 12, as the notions of day and night are relative in orbit,
- a bezel with a larger diameter for easier manipulation with astronaut gloves,
- a simplified slide rule,
An expandable stainless steel bracelet that could fit over his spacesuit.
Willy Breitling accepted the challenge and set to work to deliver this “Navitimer 24 Hours” prototype just a few days before the mission launch on May 24, 1962. It’s interesting to note that this was the first watch specifically designed and adapted for a particular use in space, and what’s more, at the request of an astronaut rather than NASA itself. It wasn’t until October 1962 that we saw the first Omega in space, on the wrist of Wally Schirra.
Scott Carpenter (right) talking with Walter “Wally” Schirra (left) and Virgil “Gus” Grissom (center) shortly before the flight of Aurora 7 in 1962. On his wrist is the Cosmonaute that Breitling had just delivered to him, fitted with a stainless steel stretch bracelet.
Scott Carpenter aboard Aurora 7 before departure, with his Breitling Cosmonaute clearly visible.
The mission proceeded smoothly, completing three orbits of the Earth in approximately five hours. However, upon reentry, the horizon sensor malfunctioned, forcing Carpenter to switch to manual control. This led to a splashdown approximately 250 miles from the planned recovery point. During the jump from the capsule and the time it took to board the rescue boat, his non-water-resistant Breitling was submerged, rendering it inoperable a few hours later. Upon his return, Carpenter sent the watch back to Breitling. Logically, instead of attempting to repair it, Willy Breitling had another one made and sent it to Carpenter. As for Carpenter’s original watch, it has been preserved at Breitling in its unrestored condition for 62 years.
Carpenter’s recovery took longer than expected, as the splashdown was a 250-mile overshoot from his intended location.
Carpenter’s watch today.
It was likely at that moment that Willy Breitling decided to gift the other six astronauts a Navitimer 24 Hours. Photos show John Glenn, Wally Schirra, and Gus Grissom wearing this exact model. Glenn’s watch was sold at auction in December 2019 for a staggering $156,250.
John Glenn’s Cosmonaute sold by Phillips Auction House in December 2019 in New York.
According to his son Grégory’s testimony, Willy Breitling wanted to give an evocative name to his new creation and immediately thought of “astronaut,” but had to give up on it because the name had already been reserved since 1961 by the Bulova company. Willy Breitling therefore chose the name “Cosmonaute” with the French spelling. Subsequently, the Cosmonaute was commercialized with this new name on the dial, then the large bezel was abandoned and the dial, like the Navitimer, adopted silver subdials for better readability.
The Cosmonaute continued its development in parallel with its sister Navitimer, with some years where it was no longer listed in the catalog. It remains today one of the rare watches with a 24-hour display.