The Breguet Reine de Naples is a serious horological collection. As well as the feminine sizing, heavily jeweled pieces, and intricate rare handcrafts inherent to many of them, the line features watches containing moon phase indications, chiming complications, power reserve indicators, and the most poetic of them all: a day/night indication with 24-hour rotating moon (and a rotating regulating organ opposite that).
But that does not mean that this line cannot be simultaneously beautiful, whimsical, and technically interesting.
The Reine de Naples collection constantly surprises me. Breguet changes the mood, look, and style of this ovoid watch by using colors, textures, materials, and gems with perfect skill.
Breguet Reine de Naples Coeur Reference 8967 on the wrist
And that brings me to the brand-new Reine de Naples Coeur Reference 9825, which boasts yet another unique element to keep our eyes trained on the dial: a shaped, variable-length minute hand unlike any other minute hand I’ve ever seen. A beguiling technical element as captivating as a beating heart.
Breguet Reine de Naples Coeur Reference 9825: telling the time
You might wonder why you can’t figure out the time at first glance. That’s because this watch has no conventional hands. Instead, it displays the hours digitally in a window and the minutes using a heart-shaped hand that is nothing like anything that has existed before it.
As the heart-shaped minute hand makes its way around the dial, it expands and contracts to fit the oval curves of the case, never overstepping the boundaries of the beautiful numerals and markers encircling the perimeter of the fascinating dial.
In essence, the “hand” is a large heart, the bottom of which is tipped with a tiny red heart that acts as the pointer. The large heart shape moves to fit the circumstances of its position: smaller and wider when it is pointing to numbers along the bottom of the dial and more elongated as it circles around to the top.
The rotating heart minute hand of Breguet’s Reine De Naples Coeur Reference 9825 is the subject of four patents
This whimsical new indication is patented. While not obvious, the heart forming the minute hand comprises two independent arms that twist. These arms, crafted in an innovative, light, and flexible pink-gold-plated nickel-phosphorus LIGA material, dance to the beat of a set of gears that instruct them to behave like an expanding and contracting heart – beating for all intents and purposes. The expansion ranges in length from 7.7 to 16.8 mm.
An oval cam underneath the dial mirrors the shape of the Reine de Naples Coeur’s ovoid case, guiding the arms to move at differing speeds.
Breguet’s Reine de Naples Coeur Reference 8967 with its beautiful clutch bag that doubles as a case
This innovation protected by four patents was developed specifically for use in this watch. The patents cover the variable hand, the torque regulation, and the ovoid cam (which was awarded two separate patents by itself).
Breguet registered the first patent in 2013 and has been working on this watch ever since. It was very much worth the wait.
Breguet Reine de Naples Coeur Reference 9825: those beautiful details
Let’s move on to the incredible dial made of an ovoid slab of sapphire crystal that has been lacquered an opaque white for a translucent effect. The numerals and markers demarcating the precise minute are painted onto it.
Breguet Reine de Naples Coeur Reference 8967
While the four numerals 15, 30, 45, and 60 are much bigger and outlined in a vermilion tone, making them instantly readable, the five-minute numerals are sweetly painted in a silvery white and topped off by small red heart markers, only becoming visible if one carefully studies the dial. The symphony of these markings against the pristine white of the dial is a joy to behold, in particular with the small row of diamonds accentuating the flange.
This watch with its red accents and heart-shaped details – the minute hand and the five-minute markers in particular – is blatantly dedicated to love. Hence its timely launch for Valentine’s Day.
Breguet Reine de Naples Coeur Reference 8967
A pink gold case set with diamonds tops off the feminine touches: the case and bezel are set with 128 brilliant-cut diamonds, while the pink gold folding buckle adds another 28 diamonds to the tally.
As fascinating as all these details in their majestic whole are, I love the idea of the endless possibilities that this new shape-shifting indication brings. Today Breguet’s heart beats for us, but tomorrow it could be another symmetrical shape capturing our interest in yet another exquisite timepiece.
Time will tell.
For more information, please visit www.breguet.com/en/timepieces/boutique-exclusive-reine-de-naples.
Quick Facts Breguet Reine de Naples Coeur Reference 8967
Case: 36.5 x 28.45 x 10.96 mm, pink gold set with 128 diamonds (approx. 0.77 ct), crown set with ruby cabochon (approx. 0.25 ct)
Movement: automatic Caliber 78A0, 3.5 Hz frequency, silicon escape wheel and balance spring, 40-hour power reserve; platinum rotor
Functions: hours (digital), minutes (heart-shaped hand of varying length)
Strap: red alligator skin, triple folding clasp set with 28 diamonds (approx. 0.17 ct)
Limitation: 28 pieces, only available in Breguet boutiques
Price: €44,500 / CHF 45,000
Remark: comes with a calfskin leather clutch bag that doubles as a case
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