The First Swiss Wristwatch in Space
Admin
29 September 2023
In May of the same year (1962), astronaut Scott Carpenter travelled into space. He wore a Breitling Navitimer Cosmonaute timepiece on his wrist during this mission, making the Breitling the first Swiss wristwatch ever in space. Carpenter did recommend the watch to NASA; however, the watch's retreat to earth was not as positive as its departure. The watch wasn't waterproof, and it was damaged by seawater during the landing in the Atlantic Ocean.
The First Watches Worn by Soviet Pilots
You may recognize Yuri Gagarin, the Soviet Air Forces pilot who became the first human to travel into outer space. On his first trip to space in 1961, Gagarin wore the Sturmanskie. At the time, getting your hands on a Sturmanskie timepiece was near impossible. He got it as a gift when he graduated from the Chkalov Air Force Pilot School.
Cosmonaut, Alexei Leonov in 1965, took the first-ever spacewalk wearing his Strela watch, making it the first watch to be worn in open space.
