Today, Breguet is revealing a brand-new Reine de Naples 8918 timepiece in a delicate shade of mint green to celebrate International Women’s Day 2024 and to share the story of one of Breguet’s most famous female collectors – Caroline Murat, The Queen of Naples.
From the pocket to the wrist
This model first made an appearance on the wrist of the Queen, who was also Napoleon Bonaparte’s youngest sister, in the year 1812. Apart from the fact that she was part of the nobility of her day, this snippet of history could easily be overlooked, only for one fact, no one was wearing watches on their wrist in 1812. It was either pocket watches for the gentlemen or timepieces worn on a chain around the waist or neck for the ladies.
The world’s first wristwatch
The Queen of Naples, was an avid collector, especially of Breguet timepieces, and according to the brand’s archives, she acquired no less than 34 clocks and watches from Abraham-Louis Breguet from 1808 to 1814. In 1810, while the rest of high society was wearing timepieces on a chain, she put in an order for “an ultra-thin repeating watch, oblong in shape, equipped with a thermometer, and mounted on a wristlet of hair entwined with gold thread” (the handwritten entry still exists in Breguet’s archives in Paris).
A woman with numerous passions
She would go on to order a further dozen watches for herself and others over her lifetime, attesting to her love for horology. In addition to her passion for watches, she was a woman of great intelligence and literary and artistic culture. She also knew how to use her position and wealth to help others, becoming interested in economic, social, and educational issues, creating schools for young girls, and reforming coral factories. She is also credited with encouraging archaeological digs at Pompeii, showing her interest in the past as well as the future.
The brand-new Reine de Naples 8918
To celebrate the woman behind the name of the Reine de Naples collection, this new 18-karat white gold Reine de Naples 8918 is an ode to femininity and the women who have marked Breguet’s history. After models in pink, grey, and white, this is the first time that an edition has been made in mint green. This delicate hue, which is often referred to as the colour of hope, adorns the large Arabic numerals in two superimposed shades that perfectly match the colour of the alligator bracelet.
All the details
The dial comes in white mother-of-pearl and is adorned with a snow setting of 121 diamonds in the centre, 117 brilliant-cut diamonds on the inner and outer bezel, 28 brilliant-cut diamonds on the buckle, and a large briolette-shaped diamond in the crown at four o’clock.
For the movement, Breguet has called upon its automatic Calibre 537/3, equipped with a silicium hairspring and escapement that are both resistant to wear and tear and remain unaffected by magnetism. The movement is fitted with a beautifully decorated platinum rotor that can be admired via the open case back.
Giving her name to this iconic Breguet model, the legend of the Queen of Naples lives on in this elegant timepiece and on this very special day that celebrates women of all eras.
