THE ART OF TIME

A curation of iconic watch brands in horological history

- JIAAN KRIS JAMSHŶD LAM

BRÉGUET

The Reine de Naples Collection

The Reine de Naples collection traces its heritage to a timepiece commissioned by Caroline Murat from Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1810, with delivery occurring in 1812. However, since 1855, all physical evidence of this original watch has been lost with only written records remaining. As a result, the contemporary Reine de Naples collection was crafted based on the scant details documented in historical registers. According to these records, on June 8, 1810, the Queen of Naples ordered two timepieces from Breguet - a grand complication carriage watch and a bracelet watch with a minute repeater. She acquired 34 clocks and watches from Breguet between 1808 and 1814. Breguet commenced the creation of what would become the precursor to the Reine de Naples collection, initially described as a repeater in oblong form for a bracelet, recorded under number 2639. The original Reine de Naples was artistically and mechanically groundbreaking.

It boasted a free lever escapement and a thermometer. 17 artisans were involved in its creation, necessitating 34 distinct processes. The earlier gold dial with guilloché was later replaced by a silver dial with guilloché and Arabic numerals. On December 21, 1812, Breguet documented it as a very thin repeater watch N° 2639, with a silver dial, Arabic numerals, a thermometer, and a fast-slow indicator positioned outside the dial. It was mounted in a bracelet crafted from hair interwoven with gold thread, accompanied by a simple gold key and an additional gold-trimmed bracelet, all enclosed in a red calfskin case. A supplementary entry from August 1855 further notes that the watch featured a gold case with guilloché and a prominent ring of cracked gold. breguet.​com