Breguet Reine de Naples Coeur 9825
The Breguet Reine de Naples Coeur 9825 resembles the first wristwatch ever made (1810). It features an ingenious means of depicting minutes and the case is embellished with 128 diamonds. The model is limited to just 28 pieces.
Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747-1823) was born in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. He is widely regarded by watch aficionados as the finest watchmaker of all time. His talents were extensive. Breguet was ingenious, inventing the pare-chute, the Breguet overcoil and, of course, the tourbillon. He was an aesthete, designing his famous hour and minute hands and Breguet numerals. Lastly, he was a consummate businessman. He came up with the idea of the souscription watch, no doubt enhancing his cash flow in the process and funding the growth of his business.
Beyond is remarkable talents, Breguet enjoyed good fortune. While he was born in Switzerland, he made his fortune in Paris. Famously, his work came to the attention of Marie-Antoinette. She acquired many of Breguet’s watches, but also extolled the virtues of the watchmaker’s work. This attracted other wealthy patrons, including nobility.
Napoleon Bonaparte, his wife, Joséphine, and Caroline Murat, Napoleon’s younger sister, were all clients of Breguet. Caroline Murat, the Queen of Naples, commissioned two watches in 1810. One of these watches is widely considered to be the first wrist-worn watch. Recorded in the firm’s registers as ‘number 2639’, the watch was egg-shaped and featured a minute repeater and thermometer. The watch was fitted with a bracelet of hair entwined with gold thread.
The House of Breguet has unveiled a modern-day watch inspired by Caroline Murat’s wristwatch of 1810, the new Reine de Naples Coeur 9825. This latest model lacks the minute repeater and thermometer of its 19th-century antecedent, nevertheless, it is brimming with ingenuity and exhibits a notably elegant appearance.
The Breguet Reine de Naples Coeur 9825 features an ingenious means of expressing the minutes. A heart-shaped minute hand alters its profile, following the contours of the egg-shaped case and succinctly expresses meaning with an abundance of style. The hours are shown via an arcing aperture at the centre of the dial. The self-winding movement offers convenience, while the diamond-set case bestows a high-quotient of glamour.
The brand’s press release
The first wristwatch ever made, the model no. 2639 was a treasure trove of ingenuity right from its origins in 1810. Breguet was inspired by this innovative watch and by the client, Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, who commissioned it, for its iconic contemporary collection.
Today, for its new creation dedicated to women and to love, the House of Breguet has designed a new system protected by several patents. The magic of an innovative mechanism changes the heart shape of the minute hand – off-centre at 6 o’clock – depending on its position on the oval dial. Breguet, which has always developed special watches dedicated to women, is thus faithful to its history and its practice. For this new creation, its curves stretch as the hand moves across the top half of the dial, and become more rounded at the bottom. A real heart that beats… A pared-down dial highlights the delicate elegance and great romanticism of this piece. Touches of vermilion red add to the intensity of the lines of the hours chapter, the leather strap, and the crown, which is adorned with a ruby. This luxurious and exclusive composition is brought to perfection with rose gold and diamonds.
This model, reserved for brand boutiques, is presented in an envelope clutch bag finished in grained calfskin leather and dyed vermilion red to match the strap of the Reine de Naples Coeur.
Celebrating Delicacy and Romance
For the face of this new Reine de Naples, Breguet has opted for understated elegance. The heart-shaped minute hand moves over a sapphire-crystal dial, lacquered in white for a very soft and subtle translucent effect. Its tip, marked by a subtle red heart, indicates the minutes on the hours chapter, punctuated by tiny hearts every five minutes. For better readability, something dear to Breguet, the quarter numerals are distinguished by their size and their outline, lacquered with vermilion. The hour, indicated by a drop of purple lacquer, appears in the centre through a window. The rose gold of the dial flange and bezel is set with 128 diamonds. The setting of the folding buckle, also in gold, echoes the brilliance of the case, amounting to a total of approximately 0.94 carats.
The Magic of a Vibrant Heart, an ode to love
The latest invention of the House of Breguet is a minute hand composed of two independent arms, capable of twisting thanks to an ingenious set of gears to create a heart that is extended at 12 o’clock and more rounded at 6 o’clock. Equipped with an oval-shaped cam – mirroring the curves so characteristic of the Reine de Naples – the mechanism allows each of these arms to move at different speeds. This innovation, created exclusively for the Reine de Naples, is protected by four patents. The gears of this complication, like all the components of the calibre, are all carefully hand-finished in the Breguet tradition – whether visible or invisible to the eye. The sapphire-crystal caseback of the rose gold case reveals the movement of the calibre, the 78A0. On the gold rim, the individual number of the watch is engraved, recorded in the archives of the House of Breguet, which have been maintained since the end of the eighteenth century.
With the Reine de Naples Cœur, Breguet conjures up the magic of love, thanks to an innovative hand that traces a heart of ever-changing shape. The delicate and unexpected combination of technique and romanticism.
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. It was the first wristwatch designed especially for this purpose. 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.
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