Breitling Navitimer Cosmonaute 809 NAVITIMATER full Breitling service
Basic Info
Listing code : MHG3E5
Brand : Breitling
Model : Navitimer Cosmonaute
Reference number : 809
Movement : Manual winding
Case material : Steel
Bracelet material : Leather
Year of production : 1965
Condition : Used (Very good)
Most Recent Servicing : November 4, 2024
Scope of delivery : No original box, no original papers
Gender : Men's watch/Unisex
Location : United Kingdom, Leeds
Price : 6,660
Availability : Item is in stock
Caliber
Movement : Manual winding
Case
Case material : Steel
Case diameter : 41 x 48 mm
Dial : Black
Bracelet/strap
Bracelet material : Leather
Bracelet color : Black
BREITLING COSMONAUTE 809 TWIN JET NAVITMER DIAL VINTAGE WATCH
1965
FULL RECENT OFFICIAL BREITLING UK SERVICE NOV 24 (this year) including case polishing.
Watch is superb condition (has original dial)
Please find offered here for sale my own beautiful Breitling Cosmonaute (Navitimer Dial with Twin Jets) vintage wristwatch, from 1965 (serial number starts with 101****).
You will struggle to find a better example of this watch anywhere.
It has had a recent FULL service at official Breitling UK.
*Please note that many watch repair companies online say that they do full services, but won't do as much as Breitling did on this watch. They had the watch for months and when I enquired about the lengthy timescale, that stated that it is because Breitling UK have only ONE person who can do these to full service standard.
I have all the paperwork for the service, which of course will be included in the watch.
This means that the watch is sold with BREITLING OFFICIAL AUTHENTICITY, as the serial number is on the official service paperwork.
The watch has had a polish / full service, which included a new crystal, and new pushers and crown. The dial is the original, to keep the watch vintage feel and charm.
It also had a new crown tube fitted, and a new mainspring fitted.
The watch was also running at low amplitude, which was sorted in the service.
The movement is a Venus movement, manual wind (wind forward until stopping).
The full service included (Breitling's words): disassembly, cleaning, refinishing of movement parts (where necessary) and adjustment/setting of movement function parameters, lubrication, reassembly & testing.
I have had the watch running all week, with a full wind daily. In the first day it was at around +9 seconds, then settled down some. It ran for 5 days, so is running at +38 seconds over 5 days. An average of +7 per day. (All done off the wrist). So running very accurately for a 59 years old watch.
The watch has a 24 hour dial (which goes round just once, not twice, over a twenty four hour period).
Crystal is Plexiglass (brand new official Breitling replacement).
Watch is on an official leather Breitling strap (black).
Watch is NOT water resistant.
The watch comes with a spare deployant official Breitling leather strap in navy blue (the clasp is generic and not Breitling).
The watch comes boxed in an aftermarket self sourced (unofficial) unique Breitling wooden presentation box with the Breitling logo embossed into the wood by means of Pyrography.
(Box has no sponge / velvet insert or lining. Watch will be padded out safely with bubble wrap).
A little history of the 809:
An interesting read by Fratello watches:
******
The Breitling 809 Cosmonaute…a touch of history
The history of the Breitling 809 Cosmonaute is one that perfectly mates with its aviation-inspired design. Breitling launched the Navitimer in 1954 and aviators – from commercial to those in the armed forces, heavily used this watch. In 1959, when NASA announced its initial lineup of astronauts for the space program, they chose from some of the USA’s best fighter and test pilots. Scott Carpenter was one of these and he apparently approached Breitling with a request: specifically, he asked for a Navitimer but with a 24-hour dial in order to aid accurate time telling in space. Breitling responded and they paired the dial with a modified Venus 178 – just as in the Navitimer – but geared to move the hour hand around the dial at half speed to correspond to 24-hours. The watch officially debuted in 1961 as the Cosmonaute (seemingly within the Navitimer line) and Carpenter famously – Breitling would go on to advertise the feat of the Cossie being the first watch on the wrist of an American astronaut– wore the watch on the Mercury-Aurora 7 program launch in 1962. Sadly, Carpenter submerged his arm in the ocean while floating in his capsule waiting for pickup and the watch was damaged and never seen again. NASA, of course, ended up choosing the Omega Speedmaster Professional as its official Moonwatch and it’s sad, but understandable, to note that the Cosmonaute was never considered due to its lack of water and pressure resistance. The Cosmonaute, however, lived on…
*****
So a truly beautiful package, a timepiece with amazing history, with an official Breitling service and case polish, and a (non-official) box and spare official Breitling deployant strap (buckle is aftermarket not official).
