Breguet Reine de Naples 8958 Cammea Ballerina

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Breguet unveils its most recent creation in the Reine de Naples line, a model paying tribute to the art of ballet and to Russia. The House stages three ballerinas fashioned with one of its beloved techniques, the cameo work. The art of engraving in high relief consists of working on the different layers of a seashell, creating a sculpture of uncommon delicacy – Breguet Reine de Naples 8958 Cammea Ballerina.

“...она,
Одной ногой касаясь пола,
Другою медленно кружит,
И вдруг прыжок, и вдруг летит,
Летит, как пух от уст Эола;
То стан совьет, то разовьет
И быстрой ножкой ножку бьет.”
А.С. Пушкин «Евгений Онегин»

Breguet Reine de Naples 8958 Cammea Ballerina

The House of Breguet has a historical relationship with Russia. Abraham-Louis Breguet was the supplier watchmaker to many royal families, high military dignitaries and diplomats. In Russia, Tsar Alexander I, a great admirer of watchmaking art, had a predilection for Breguet timepieces and shared this passion with those around him. Archival materials revealed that for over a century the Romanovs and many prominent Russian families had been clients of the House.

For its new Reine de Naples model, Breguet draws inspiration from one of the principal artistic symbols of Russia, the classical ballet. A source of national pride and an image of Russian art, ballet with its more than 300-year-old history has become an integral part of Russia.

This exquisite creation is limited to five pieces, exclusively for Russia.

Magic cameo

The art of creating cameos – relief images made from shells of sea molluscs using the method of hand carving – came to us from the depths of centuries. They gained unprecedented popularity during the reign of Queen Victoria. Catherine the Great, who also loved them very much, also contributed to the fashion of cameos. The richness and contrast of the colour of the sardonyx shells used by Breguet make it possible to emphasize the elegance of the design and the skill of the carver. The small Italian town of Torre del Greco, located near Naples, has been considered the centre of stone cutting for two centuries. It is there that father and son work – authors of cameos that adorn Breguet products. The eldest of the engravers began to study the art of carving at the age of seven with the master Giuseppe Chalanga, and the youngest was educated at the Academy of Fine Arts of Naples.

An artist striving to create a unique pattern, in tune with the natural shades of the shell, carefully selects the material according to colour, degree of transparency, surface relief and features of the layered structure of the shell plate. After drawing the sketch, the master removes the outer layer of the sink, and then sands and smoothes it. As a result, the basic pattern is created on a flawless white surface. The master cuts through its contours and deepens the boundaries, but no more than two millimetres. The smallest details are made with the finest tools that allow you to reveal more intensely coloured layers. The dark shade of the background and the creamy colour of the design itself creates a subtle contrast characteristic of antique glyptic. The process is completed by cleaning and polishing, after which the work of the master appears in all its splendour.