With a dial showcasing blue scrolls and an indigo bracelet, the Breguet Reine de Naples 8967 is dressed in heavenly colours.
The House of Breguet adds a contemporary update to the Reine de Naples. This new creation in steel is adorned with a blue-lacquered dial and a matching denim strap. The Reine de Naples 8967 features the slightly elongated oval shape that is typical of the collection. Created in the watchmaking tradition of the House of Breguet, the model beats to the rhythm of a mechanical self-winding manufacture calibre.
Breguet makes the dial of the Reine de Naples 8967 stand out thanks to a deep-blue lacquer with turquoise blue scrolls. Its surface is reminiscent of a starry sky. To achieve this effect, the artisan would place a touch of clear lacquer on still-liquid dark material. When combined in this manner, the colours mix spontaneously to form a unique painting.
The Breguet Arabic numerals 6 and 12 are at the top and bottom of the dial, painted in white relief. The hours’ chapter – off-centre at 6 o’clock – adopts the oval shape of the case. Engraved lines radiate from its centre, punctuated at the end by faceted diamond shapes in silvered powder. For use at night, a luminescent material – blue in the dark – has been used to illuminate the hands. Finally, the Breguet signature is engraved between 9 and 12 o’clock, followed by the timepiece’s individual number.
The Reine de Naples 8967 comes with a steel case with finely fluted sides. Its delicate form, its crown at 4 o’clock, as well as the special lug of its bracelet are all characteristics that make it a timepiece both feminine and original.
The transparent sapphire caseback reveals the 591C calibre and the engine-turned, solid-gold rotor. The use of silicon with non-magnetic properties for the escapement and the balance spring ensures a reliable precision movement with a frequency of 4 Hertz. The 169 components of this manufacture calibre have been decorated with great care by Breguet’s artisans. The chronometric precision of the Reine de Naples has been tested in six positions, and the watch is water-resistant up to 30 meters.
The Reine de Naples 8967 features shades of azure.
The Watch of a Queen
During her reign over Naples, Caroline Murat, Napoléon Bonaparte’s younger sister, was a great supporter of the arts and would acquire over 30 Breguet watches and clocks. In 1810, the watchmaker established at Quai de l’Horloge in Paris began an unprecedented creation for the Queen of Naples: a watch designed to be worn on the wrist. This would be the world’s first known wristwatch. From its delivery in 1812 to repairs in 1849 and 1855, the Breguet archives have kept track of the history and characteristics of this watch, whose whereabouts today are unknown. The oblong-shaped creation with an engine-turned silver dial was very delicate and included several complications: a repeater, a moon-phase indicator, and also a thermometer. Finally, it had a wristlet of hair and gold thread that allowed it to be worn on the wrist.
Breguet Reine de Naples 8967 Specifications
Case:
- Oval, in steel with delicately fluted caseband.
- Sapphire-crystal caseback.
- Dimensions 43 × 34.95 millimetres.
- Thickness of 9.58 millimetres.
- Faceted crown.
- Water-resistant to 3 bar (30 meters).
Dial:
- Blue-lacquered dial, individually numbered and signed Breguet.
- Hours chapter off-centred at 6 o’clock.
- Hour makers for 6 and 12 o’clock in Breguet Arabic numerals, painted in relief.
- Luminescent Breguet steel hands.
Movement:
- Mechanical self-winding movement, calibre 591C.
- 11½ lignes.
- 25 jewels.
- 38-hour power reserve.
- 169 components.
- Engine-turned, 22-karat-gold rotor.
- Silicon balance spring, lever and escape wheel.
- Breguet balance wheel with adjusting screws.
- Frequency 4 hertz.
- Adjusted in 6 positions.
Strap:
- Blue denim fabric strap with folding buckle (3 steel blades).
For more information, please visit the Breguet Watches Website.