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Vintage Breitling 809 Cosmonaute Scott Carpenter Part 1
On May the 24th 1962, Scott Carpenter comes back from space. He is the 6th man to go there, the second american with to rteach orbit. Americans have now the same number of orbital flights as soviets, they catch up after losing to Sputnik and Gagarine.
The space race goes onm between USSR and USA, Kennedy and Kruschchev, NASA and Korolev. Mercury capsule, fall into the ocean around Puerto Rico, on his wrist Carpenter wears a special Breitling, modified to his specifications: the Cosmonaute. During recovery, the watch is submerged, dial is damaged, the watch is sent to Breitling ... and disappears.
Could it be this one? Had this Cosmonaute a trip in space?
Let's investigate 
References
ref1: a great article in french on the beginning of Breitling , how it build up
ref2: an article on differet Navitimer by Kurt Broendum
ref3: How to use the slide rule
ref4: the Mercury 7 , the first group of Astronaut to which Scott Carpenter belongs
Breitling a brand that counts
A long intro on Breitling because we finally talk little about even though it is a major brand like Rolex or Omega.
It helps to understand why the Comonaute makes sense in this brand and why one of the first astronaut ask it.
Breitling is a toolwatch brand, the today slogan is "instruments for professionals" and that what Breitling has always done.
Not really a specialist of divers (although there is the SuperOcean series) mais toolwatch to count and compute, that is the essence of the brand.
Breitling made his reputation on countersm Bord clock, industrial production toolsm "compte mouton" ("sheep counters" in french), decimal counters, pocket watches with tenth of second indication and obviously and especiallym chronograph and split-seconds.
As toolwatches, their dial are anonymous till the end of the 30s, they are made to supply industry, aviation pioneers, not to dress up.
credit: invenitetfecit
You don't wear a Breitling you use it
That what makes, for me, Breitling THE brand of chronographs. Others can see here Heuer, Universal Genève, Longines or others or others, everyone has his pros and cons.
But the long story of Breitling , the wide spectrum of instruments they made, gives it a special status to my eyes.
credit: Mikrolisk
credit: WatchFred
As a consequence of this specialization and excellent reputation in different measurement instruments, Breitling is a supplier for aviation, early in history. They supply Royal Air Force already in 1936 (I have also read USAF in 1942 but can't confirm). Aviation is where Breitling will mostly communicate and this is what we see.
But I will insist on that it was a broad brand, for any industrial needs, sport watches and so on.
credit: WatchFred
credit: watchfred
Here a board clock of a boeing 727.
credit: Ed l'épicier
But Breitling is not alone in the chronograph world, you have to innovate, good quality isn't enough.
Some innovations were made by Breitling. The 1933 patent on a two pusher wristwatch chornograph is one of them. But the patent do not hold, there were some innovations close to this one, in pocket watch especially and in 1934 Universal Geneve and Angelus offers two pushers chornographs.
Competition is toughm on board clock, there are also Breguet, Jaeger, Lemania, Longines, LIP, Zenith, Dodane etc...
Breitling will take an advantage on competitors by patenting the first chronograph with an integrated slide rude, it's the chronomat in 1941 . Neither Calculator nor computer existed at the time. Engineers use pen and paper, and slide rule, this chronomat will be an extremly useful instrument for lot of professionals, it's a success.
From this new chronomat, a new model is derived, studied to answer aircraft pilots requests. It's larger, has a special dial with wome specifics scales and is luminescent. This watch is the Navitimer, the brand's most famous model..
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) will make it its official watch. AOPA might be at the origin of the watch but nothing is certain. Breitling says it started in 1952, specialist have seen nothing before 1954. There is still mystery around this legend and how it went on the market.
My hypothesis is that the name was registered in 1952 but the first watches came on the market in 1954. It's a 41mm watch, which is huge at the time for a civilian watch. Many chornographs rarely goes over 36. Sure there were military chronoraph that went above but it was in a special period. It makes it one of the largest civilian watch of its time.
Certainly the most beautiful wearable computer ever made 
credit: taken form an article of David Mycko
Noodia's shot of a beautiful Navitimer from a fellow collector on my wrist
Vintage Breitling 809 Cosmonaute Scott Carpenter Part 1
Breitling 809 Cosmonaute part 2: genesis in space
Breitling 809 Cosmonaute Part 3: the beauty that became a beast
This watch deserved a serious review, and you did it, François.
Thank you Nicolas
Just finished reading thru your thread, François . . .
Thank you Art :)
Thank you for sharing all this! :)
in the shadow... coughing...
Delightful post cisco & 24 h dials rock!
Thank wou rwk
What a wonderful read !..& the superb result of lots of passion, knowledge & splendid pics
Thanks hs for your aprreciation
Une revue fantastique
Nice, very nice and when we talk about Navitimer and AOPA ...
Thank you Oliver
Fantastic Post! You made me write an Astronaut post in response
Thank you Cazalea!
Scott Carpenter - From Cosmonaut to Aquanaut.
Wow amazing Bill, thanks for your help and answer.
Great reference post
That’s a great review !
