Repairing Breitling Cosmonaute Chrono-matic Caliber 11
Own a vintage Breitling Cosmonaute chronograph and need expert mechanical servicing or a full overhaul? You’re in the right place. At TimePieceShoppe, we specialize in professional Breitling repair and restoration, including early automatic chronographs powered by the Caliber 11. Whether your watch requires a full movement overhaul, chronograph servicing, cleaning, or careful restoration, we handle every step with precision and care. We offer detailed work logs with photos, and direct communication throughout the entire process.
What We Do: Complete Overhaul & Restoration
This vintage watch movement arrived in relatively good condition, but due to age the case and bezel were quite worn. The movement underwent a complete disassembly, ultrasonic cleaning, and oiling using high-quality synthetic watch lubricants, and was regulated, achieving a stable rate. However, the bezel teeth had suffered significant corrosion damage over the years. A mechanical repair was performed to stabilize the bezel, although it is no longer functional for rotation. Despite this limitation, the vintage watch restoration was a success and met the expectations of the owner.
How It Works — Submit Your Watch for Repair
- Visit our Getting Started page for mailing instructions.
- Ship your watch using secure, insured shipping
- We will assess condition, and contact you with a repair estimate before proceeding.
For additional information on watches we work on please visit these pages: Vintage Rolex repair— Vintage Breitling repair —Vintage Omega repair — Vintage Heuer repair —Bulova Repair, and Pocket Watch Repair. See my FAQ for additional information, and visit Watch Repair Case Studies.
Repairing Breitling Cosmonaute Chrono-matic Caliber 11
Many vintage Breitling chronographs arrive in my shop with one or more of these issues:
- Chronograph slipping, stuck pushers, or erratic reset
- Low amplitude or erratic timekeeping due to dried or broken lubricants
- Worn or damaged chronograph module parts (clutch, levers, heart-piece)
- Micro-rotor winding issues (for Caliber 11 / 12)
- Corrosion or wear in case, bezel, or crown/pushers due to age or inadequate servicing
Because of the complexity and age of these watches, specialized care and experience are essential to avoid damaging precious components.
FAQ — Breitling Cosmonaute Caliber 11 Repair
Q: Do you service both Caliber 11 and Caliber 12 movements?
A: Yes — both the original Caliber 11 automatic and its updated Caliber 12 variant are within our expertise.
Q: Will my vintage watch be polished or altered cosmetically?
A: Only if personally requested. We respect the originality and patina of vintage watches; mechanical restoration is always the primary focus.
Q: Can the bezel and slide-rule be restored to full rotation?
A: Sometimes — depending on corrosion, pitting, or wear. If full restoration isn’t possible, we’ll stabilize the bezel and document all limitations before you approve work.
Q: How long does a full service usually take?
A: Turnaround time depends on parts availability and workload, but typically ranges from 6–12 weeks from receipt to return shipment.
Breif Hisotry do the Breitling Navitimer
Origins
The Breitling Cosmonaute introduced in 1962. It was a variant of the Navitimer model. The Navitimer, introduced in 1952, was renowned for its functionality as a pilot’s watch, equipped with a slide rule bezel for performing crucial aviation calculations.
The Cosmonaute owes its development to Scott Carpenter, one of NASA’s original Mercury 7 astronauts. He requested Breitling to create a version of the Navitimer with a 24-hour dial instead of the standard 12-hour dial. He also requested a simplified slide rule to accommodate the needs of an astronaut, and wanted a wider bezel so it would easier to turn with large gloves on. Carpenter wore the Breitling Cosmonaute on May 24, 1962, during his mission aboard Aurora 7, making it one of the first wristwatches worn in space.
Evolution
Over the years, the Cosmonaute underwent several design and mechanical evolutions, though it retained its core identity as a watch designed for space exploration. Breitling has re-released the Cosmonaute in various limited-edition models, often celebrating the original design’s spacefaring heritage.
Design and Features
24-Hour Dial: The hallmark of the Cosmonaute is its 24-hour dial, where the hour hand completes one full rotation every 24 hours, unlike conventional watches which make two rotations every day.
Slide Rule Bezel: Like the Navitimer, the Cosmonaute retains the circular slide rule bezel, which allows the wearer to perform calculations related to aviation, such as fuel consumption, speed, distance, and unit conversions.
Chronograph Functionality: The watch is equipped with a chronograph function, allowing precise measurement of elapsed time. This model included a sweep seconds hand, a 30 min and a 12 hour timer.
The Movement
The early models of the Cosmonaute were powered by a manual-winding movement, such as the Venus 178. But this later variant uses the Heuer, Breitling, and Hamilton-Buren Cal 11 movement, one of the first automatic Chronograph movements that also includes a date function. See my post on the Breitling Navitimer for more information.