Contrary to what one may assume, back in the late 18th and early 19th century, women were as fond of watches as men were. Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, was a known collector and a client of Abraham Louis Breguet. A watch had been one of the few objects the young queen had brought with her from Austria when she made the journey to marry the French Dauphine, and although she had already commissioned timepieces from other watchmakers, none were more treasured than those made by the French master located on the Quai de l’Horloge.
Breguet has a history second to none in elegant and befitting watches for women of distinction. Queen Marie-Antoinette, the Marquise de Condorcet, and the Empress Josephine of France are just a few examples of its female patrons. Abraham Louis was also the first to produce a watch specifically for a woman in 1812 – the Queen of Naples no less – and the company’s prominence in the area has remained ever since. The watches Breguet produces for the feminine wrist, then and now, contain the same horological content as the men’s line.
This year, we have a new addition to its Classique Dame collection that attest to the fact that they have lost none of their creativity and acumen for ladies’ wristwear. The Classique Dame ref. 8068 not only updates the model with a more contemporary dial and an improved mechanism, but it also incorporates an interchangeable strap system enabling the wearer to easily swap it as desired without the need of any tools.
For the first time in the Breguet collections, the brand is offering three straps in the same boxed set.
Ref. 8068 is available in a white or rose 18kt gold 30mm case with a bezel and lugs set with 64 diamonds and mother-of-pearl dial. A black satin fabric strap is complemented by two colourful options in alligator leather: teal blue and Byzantium purple for the white gold version; peacock blue and raspberry pink for the rose gold option. The new self-winding movement, viewed through the sapphire caseback, features a number of improvements that reflect Breguet’s current philosophy of integrating new technology into traditional watchmaking. The escapement has been fitted with a silicon balance spring and the automatic winding is via a platinum weight. Its dial has been hand-engraved on a rose engine. Water-resistant to 30m.
Montres Breguet followed the new Classique line with the introduction of two new Reine de Naples models (ref. 8918) in white gold. The new regally titled watches see a return to using methods of dial production that existed at that time the original was made (1812) and as such, have been given a beautiful black “grand feu” enamel dial or a more traditional guilloché on mother of pearl.
Breguet Reine de Naples ref. 8918, with diamond-set bezel showing the enamel dial in detail and the diamond at 6 o’clock.
Grand feu enamel dials are, with their lustre and depth, one of the most difficult to manufacture. The surface is built up with separately fired layers of enamel powder until the desired finish is achieved. Each time the dial is fired in the kiln, there is a high risk of failure, so it is quite unusual that manufacturers engage in producing them. The use of black enamel is even rarer, so all credit to Breguet. The dial is complemented by swirling Breguet Arabic numerals, with brilliant-cut diamonds around the bezel and a sumptuous pear-cut diamond positioned at 6 o’clock. It is pure elegance.
A second Reine de Naples model, ref. 8918 is also making its debut, and combines mother-of-pearl and guilloché with subtle touches of colour. The Breguet numerals are enhanced by a red hue, mirroring the ruby setting on its bezel and crown, and features a pear-cut ruby positioned at 6 o’clock. Once again, in keeping with the new approach to mechanical horology at Breguet, both Reine de Naples watches come with a self-winding movement equipped with a silicon escapement and a hand-engraved platinum rotor.
Breguet Reine de Naples ref. 8918 with ruby set bezel and mother of pearl dial.
For over two centuries Breguet has held an outstanding position in ladies’ watches and with the recent additions, their history in elegant and imaginative forms for the more demure wrist shows no signs of stopping.
Breguet Classique Dame ref. 8068 – £23,600.00. Find out more HERE.
Breguet Reine de Naples ref. 8918 – £34,100.00 (black dial with diamonds), £36,400.00 (white dial with rubies). Find out more HERE.
Words: Dr Andrew Hildreth
Opening picture: Breguet Classic ref. 8068 in white gold, with a Byzantium purple crocodile strap.
Show Comments +