Chronograph tested in space

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Fortis Novonaut N-42 Pilot's Watch

Starting from 5.150 €

The Fortis Novonaut N-42 is a Swiss space exploration chronograph that directly succeeds the B-42 Official Cosmonauts, worn by Russian cosmonauts for two decades. Launched in October 2023 by the Grenchen manufacture, it pairs a 42 mm case in recycled stainless steel or titanium, a bidirectional ceramic Sirius bezel with luminescent inserts, and the in-house Werk 17 calibre, an automatic column-wheel chronograph tested in stratospheric conditions. Offered in three versions, it delivers 200 metres of water resistance, a 60-hour power reserve and a five-year manufacturer warranty. Its applied Lumicast®X1 numerals and tool-watch construction make it as much an instrument as a collector's piece for aviation enthusiasts.

Fortis Novonaut N-42 pilot's watch

Fortis was founded in Grenchen, in the canton of Solothurn, and has claimed the Swiss Made label since 1912. The house owes its place in watchmaking history to the first mass-produced automatic wristwatch, presented in 1926 using the system devised by John Harwood, whose name still marks the street where the manufacture's headquarters stands. Made independent and family-owned again after its takeover by Jupp Philipp, the brand has overhauled its entire range, from the Flieger to the Marinemaster by way of the Stratoliner.

The other pillar of its identity is space. In September 1994, the Official Cosmonauts Chronograph made its first extravehicular outing during preparatory work for Atlantis's docking with the MIR station. The B-42 Official Cosmonauts took over in 2003, in the era of the International Space Station. The partnership with Roscosmos now belongs to the past and the B-42 has been discontinued, but the legacy continues with the Novonaut, unveiled on 13 October 2023. The N-42 designation logically succeeds the B-42.

This lineage is not merely symbolic. The Novonaut's calibre underwent a test protocol run with the Swedish Space Corporation: a batch of movements flew on a stratospheric balloon gondola launched from the Esrange Space Center, before returning to earth after an hour and a half of flight over Finnish forests. In 2022, a suborbital rocket launch extended the exercise. The Novonaut N-42 thus presents itself as a genuine exploration tool watch, built for those who demand instruments capable of functioning in the most hostile environments.

Technical specifications Fortis Novonaut N-42

Brand: Fortis
Model: Novonaut N-42
Reference: Depending on version
Indicative price: €5,150 to €5,800
Movement: Automatic, column-wheel chronograph
Calibre: Werk 17
Power reserve: 60 h
Diameter: 42 mm
Thickness: 15 mm
Water resistance: 200 m / 20 ATM
Materials: Stainless steel or titanium
Crystal: Sapphire
Dial: Matte black or sunburst blue
Strap: Steel or titanium Block Bracelet
Warranty: 5 years
Box contents: Alpha box, warranty, certificate, instructions, screwdriver

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The Fortis Novonaut N-42 pilot's watch

The Novonaut N-42 borrows the codes of the aeronautical instrument while lifting them to a contemporary finishing standard. Its 42 mm diameter case measures 15 mm thick with a 51 mm lug-to-lug span, dimensions that are unapologetically assertive for an automatic chronograph in this category. Construction rests, depending on the version, on recycled stainless steel or on titanium, the latter bringing the watch head down to 88 g against 115 g for the steel version. The difference is felt immediately on the wrist during long days of wear.

Fortis Novonaut N-42 watch 36

The dial favours instant legibility. The applied Lumicast®X1 numerals are not simple deposits of material but blocks of luminescence, paired with a blue emission that makes the watch perfectly legible in the dark. The subdial layout follows a 6-9-12 arrangement completed by a day-date display, while the arrows indicating the direction of adjustment are directly inherited from the B-42. One discreet detail, the T-13, evokes the thirteen seconds before a rocket launch. The sapphire crystal receives anti-reflective treatment on both faces, which limits parasitic glare in bright sunlight as well as under artificial lighting. The whole makes for a dense, technical watch in which legibility trumps every other aesthetic criterion.

Three versions for one shared space-tested mechanism

The Novonaut N-42 is now offered in three versions that share the same engine and the same architecture, but differ clearly in materials and character. The Legacy Edition, the most accessible at €5,150, adopts a recycled steel case, a matte black dial and fluorescent orange touches on the subdials: it sits closest to the spirit of the old Official Cosmonauts, with a solid engraved steel caseback. The Cobalt Blue, at €5,350, features a sunburst blue dial, a polished ceramic Sirius bezel and a smoked sapphire caseback engraved with a rocket.

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The Titanium Legacy, launched in March 2025 and priced at €5,800, is the most accomplished chapter: titanium case and bracelet, matte black dial, 3N gilt hands and matte black ceramic bezel. The heart stays identical across all three: the Werk 17 calibre, an automatic column-wheel chronograph developed for Fortis and regulated to chronometer standards by the watchmakers of Grenchen. Its 60-hour power reserve covers a full weekend without needing to reset the time. Each version is delivered on a Block Bracelet, fitted with the Screw Pin System and closed by a sliding clasp with an integrated micro-adjustment, a valuable feature for adjusting the watch depending on temperature or exertion.

Fortis Novonaut N-42 pilot's watch: the Swiss space legacy

The Fortis Novonaut N-42 combines a 42 mm case in recycled steel or titanium, a thickness of 15 mm and 200 metres of water resistance guaranteed by a triple-gasket screw-down crown. Its in-house Werk 17 calibre, an automatic column-wheel chronograph regulated to chronometer standards, offers 60 hours of power reserve and a day-date display. The bidirectional ceramic Sirius bezel and the applied Lumicast®X1 numerals ensure legibility day and night. Three versions are offered, from €5,150 to €5,800, each delivered on a Block Bracelet with sliding clasp and covered by a five-year manufacturer warranty.

Movement

The Novonaut N-42 is powered by the in-house Werk 17 calibre, an automatic column-wheel chronograph that Fortis presents as the first movement tested in space. Developed on a heavily reworked base, it beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour and offers a 60-hour power reserve. It is regulated to chronometer standards by the watchmakers of Grenchen according to the Fortis Performance Requirements. Beyond the chronograph, it drives a day-date display, a useful complement for an instrument intended for long missions.

Diameter and materials

The case measures 42 mm in diameter with a thickness of 15 mm and a 51 mm lug-to-lug span. Two materials coexist depending on the version: recycled stainless steel for the Legacy and Cobalt Blue, titanium for the Titanium Legacy, lighter on the wrist. All versions receive a bidirectional ceramic Sirius bezel and an anti-reflective sapphire crystal on both faces. Dials range from matte black to sunburst blue, with applied Lumicast®X1 numerals in all three cases.

Water resistance

The Novonaut N-42 claims a water resistance of 200 m / 20 ATM, a level well above what an aviation chronograph needs and one that allows for swimming as well as recreational diving. This performance rests on a triple-gasket screw-down crown, fitted with FKM Performance seals developed specifically by the manufacture. The caseback varies by version, in engraved metal or smoked sapphire. The ceramic Sirius bezel carries a 60-minute scale fully luminescent with Super-LumiNova X1, ensuring night-time legibility.

Accessories

Each watch is delivered on a Block Bracelet, in recycled stainless steel or titanium depending on the version, closed by a sliding clasp with integrated micro-adjustment. The fitting relies on the house's own Screw Pin System, which simplifies disassembly. The pack includes the Alpha box, the warranty, a performance certificate, the instruction manual and a reversible screwdriver. Orders placed through the online shop also receive a bracelet length-adjustment tool.

Warranty

Fortis backs the Novonaut N-42 with a 5-year manufacturer warranty, a duration above the market average and granted without mandatory registration, according to the manufacture. It adds to the performance certificate supplied in the pack, which attests to the regulation carried out in Grenchen. This lengthy coverage reflects the confidence placed in the in-house calibre and in the case construction, and weighs into the equation for a chronograph positioned above five thousand euros.