A scintillating watch paved with diamonds. Splendid, shimmering, divine and delightful all at once. It is a timepiece fit for a queen and it has been brought out in a collection named for a queen. The house of Breguet has unveiled a new model in its Reine de Naples collection (The Queen of Naples), the Reine de Naples 8938 is a work of luminosity, luminosity imparted upon it by the snow setting of its dial. In a snow setting diamonds are set side by side to completely cover the watch with each stone being rigorously selected to blend in seamlessly. The technique uses different sized stones to cover the dial keeping the visibility of the material upon which they are set to a minimum resulting in unmatched brilliance. In the case of the Reine de Naples 8938, the diamonds are set onto white gold.

For over five centuries decorating timepieces with precious gemstones has been one of the great watchmaking traditions. The oval-shaped dial of the Breguet 8938 also reveals a dial with an off-center white mother-of-pearl hours display and the house’s traditional numerals with blue moon-tipped hands dancing upon the dial as time goes by. The diamond setting continues on the dial flange or rim, the bezel (the grooved ring holding the cover of the watch face in place) and the brilliant-cut diamond lug which holds the strap to the case. The crown is outfitted with a rare and sophisticated briolette cut diamond.

More than three carats of diamonds light up this timepiece with the dial snow-set with 384 diamonds. Its leather bracelet is set with 28 brilliant cut diamonds. The watch is equipped with a self-winding mechanical movement and this Reine de Naples is available in white gold with a blue bracelet and in rose gold with an orange bracelet.

Breguet creations have fascinated a host of fascinating women including France’s last queen Marie-Antoinette, the Marquise de Condorcet and Empress Josephine. In 1812, the watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet presented the first ever wristwatch to Caroline Murat, the Princess of Naples and a younger sister of Napoleon Bonaparte.
©Trish Valicenti for The Gourmet Gazette
https://www.breguet.com/en