Breitling has continued its 140th-anniversary celebrations with the tagline, "140 Years of Firsts", after introducing its latest movement, the Calibre B19. As the brand's first-ever perpetual calendar chronograph movement, it made its debut in three of the Manufacture's flagship watches: the Navitimer, the Premier, and the Chronomat. To continue with its celebrations, Breitling is now honouring the aviation and space industry with some of its icons, the Navitimer 41 as well as the Cosmonaute B12.

Aside from its latest releases in honour of aviation, Breitling also introduced the newest member to join the Navitimer Squad. The list already consists of 2021 NBA champion Giannis Antetokounmpo, American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Misty Copeland, explorer Bertrand Piccard, and Oscar-winning actor and producer Charlize Theron. Erling Haaland, the prolific Manchester City striker, will join them to make up the new Navitimer Squad.

There are now two new versions of the Breitling Navitimer 41 with a GMT and a three-hand automatic, both of which are 41 mm. Carrying the Navitimer's iconic aesthetic, Breitling has done away with the chronograph but still managed to preserve the balance of the dial's composition. The Navitimer GMT 41 houses a 24-hour scale at the centre of the dial while the Navitimer Automatic 41 features a clean dial. This ensures that the intricate slide rule bezel is capable of standing out on its own while complementing the overall aesthetic of the watch.

The Navitimer Automatic 41 is fitted with the Breitling Caliber 17, which has 38 hours of power reserve. The self-winding movement is bidirectional, with ball bearings to ensure smooth operation every time. It can also withstand up to 30 m of depth underwater while being protected by cambered sapphire crystal glass that has been glare-proofed on both sides. Breitling offers the Navitimer Automatic 41 in two variations: stainless steel and 18k red gold.

For the Navitimer Automatic GMT 41 carries the Breitling Caliber 32, a self-winding mechanical movement with a power reserve of 42 hours and the ability to track a second time zone along with the date and time. Much like the Navitimer Automatic 41, it can withstand up to 30 m of depth underwater, and its cambered sapphire crystal glass provides added protection.

Both the Navitimer Automatic 41 and the GMT will come in a host of colours for the dial like blue, ice blue, black, silver, and green. The hands and indexes of both watches also receive Super-LumiNova coating for greater readability, which is crucial when you're taking it for a trip underwater. There are a host of straps to choose from as both models will have either a blue, black, or gold-brown alligator leather option with a folding buckle. A stainless steel or a two-tone, seven-row Navitimer bracelet with a butterfly clasp is an option as well.

As for the 18k red-gold case variant, that will come in two differing options, depending on the model. the Navitimer Automatic 41 features a brown alligator leather strap with an 18k red-gold buckle. You can also swap it out for an 18k red-gold seven-row Navitimer bracelet with a butterfly clasp. The Navitimer Automatic GMT 41, on the other hand, replaces the brown alligator leather strap with black instead. The full-gold models will carry the Origins label, which can be traced back to the Swiss Better Gold Association-accredited mines.

To mark Breitling's 140th anniversary, it introduced the Navitimer B12 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaute, which was first made famous in 1962 during the height of space travel. American astronaut Scott Carpenter, who was part of the Mercury Seven space flight crew, had approached Breitling with a unique request: to modify the Navitimer's design for space exploration. Carpenter had asked for a 24-hour dial in order to distinguish between day and night while in orbit.

Breitling had stepped up to the challenge and the customised Navitimer would accompany Carpenter on his Mercury-Atlas mission on May 24, 1962. Thus, the Cosmonaute was born as it became the first Swiss wristwatch to go to space. Its reintroduction for Breitling's 140th anniversary will see the Cosmonaute be part of a special-edition series with only 250 pieces made.

On the surface, the watch comes with an 18k red-gold case with a cambered sapphire crystal glass that's glare-proofed on both ends. The dial features the 24-hour golden indexes to go with three sub-dials: a 30-minute counter at 3 o'clock, a 12-hour gauge at 6 o'clock, and a 60-second counter at 9 o'clock. Both the hour and minute hands are coated with Super-LumiNova whilst the 1/4th second hand is left untouched.

The dial is bathed in a dark green hue to contrast with the jet-black sub-dials alongside the bidirectional circular slide rule on the bezel. All this is powered by the Breitling Manufacture B12 calibre that has a power reserve of up to 70 hours and a water resistance level of up to 30 m. This self-winding mechanical movement comes with a column wheel and a vertical clutch that keep the watch and its sub-dials in check.

Check out the inner workings of the Breitling Navitimer B12 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaute when you turn it over. The rear of the watch has an 18k red-gold screwed-down case back with sapphire crystal glass. The watch only features a singular strap, which is black alligator leather with an 18k red-gold folding buckle.

Want to know more about the Breitling Navitimer 41 and its other collections? Check out our catalogue to learn more about the Manufacture or drop us a message to enquire further.