Caroline Murat, the Queen of Naples.
archives reveal the names and titles of several
of Caroline’s siblings, including her brother,
Napoleon, who acquired three timepieces
from Breguet.
Caroline bought her first Breguet in 1805,
and by 1814, had acquired a total of 34
watches and clocks from the company,
including the famous wristwatch of 1812.
She placed the order on June 8th, 1810,
actually requesting two unusual timepieces:
a grande complication carriage watch and
the wristwatch with a repeater function. The
order appears in Breguet’s manufacturing
register, along with a complete summary
of every stage in the making of the piece.
Breguet has service records for the watch
right up until 1855. It has not been seen since.
From a design point of view, the collection’s
ovoid shape and decorative personality
are provocative compared to the rest of
Breguet’s classic oeuvre, yet the watches are
accentuated by elements that are signature
Breguet: coin-edged or fluted casebands,
Breguet-style numerals and Breguet open-
tipped hands. The liberal application of
guilloché is also typically Breguet, as is the
fact that each watch in the collection contains
a superb movement.
The original Reine de Naples was after all
a double complication, a repeater combined
with a thermometer function, and the Reine
de Naples has included at least two models
with striking functions, which is very unusual
for a ladies’ watch. The original also had an
oval case, not necessarily a Breguet signature,
but certainly a shape the company can claim
as its own, given that the Reine de Naples was
the world’s first wristwatch. In 2012, Breguet
40 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | SUMMER 2018
Breguet manufacture registry showing the order from the Queen of Naples.
The Reine de Naples Princesse 8965, with
an engine turned natural white mother-of-
pearl dial and rose gold Roman numerals.
This is the rose gold diamond-set bracelet
model. The movement is self-winding
Caliber 591C.
The Reine de Naples Princesse
8965 on a leather strap.