Breguet Reine de Naples 25mm Automatic Ladies Watch

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Breguet Reine de Naples 25mm Automatic Ladies Watch

Ref. 8928BR/51/944/DD0D

The Reine de Naples traces its shape to an oval bracelet-watch that Abraham-Louis Breguet made in 1812 for Caroline Murat, Napoleon's sister and Queen of Naples — widely considered the first wristwatch made for a woman. This reference is the smaller of the two current proportions, and the reduction in width makes the egg-shaped case feel closer to a jewel worn on the wrist than to a conventional watch, which is very much what Breguet intended. The dial arrangement is the element that takes longest to understand and rewards most. Because the oval case is taller than it is wide, Breguet offsets the chapter ring hard toward 6 o'clock, leaving the upper half of the mother-of-pearl open. In certain light that uninterrupted upper field shows the natural grain of the shell; in others it appears almost uniformly luminous. The blued pomme hands, the Roman numerals curving around the lower sub-dial, and the single pear-cut diamond at the base axis are all working within a strict internal geometry. The 139 diamonds distributed across the bezel, the inner flange and the single ball lug at 6 o'clock — through which the strap loops rather than attaching by conventional lugs — continue that logic into the case itself. The calibre 586/1 is 3.9mm thick, which is what keeps the total height to 8.5mm across a case carrying this much stone-setting. The silicon balance spring and silicon pallet stones in the escapement are not decorative choices; they make the movement resistant to magnetic fields that would trouble a conventional lever, and they eliminate the need for lubrication at those points. The platinum engine-turned rotor is visible through the sapphire caseback.

Reference: 8928BR/51/944/DD0D
Brand: Breguet
Collection: Reine de NaplesCase Size: 33 mm x 24
Case size: 25mm
Case thickness: 8.5mm
Lug width: 14mm
Case material: Rose gold
Case shape: Oval
Dial: Mother-of-pearl
Crystal: Sapphire
Movement: Automatic
Calibre: 586/1
Water resistance: 30m
Bracelet / strap: Leather strap
Strap colour: Black
Clasp: Folding clasp
Lume: Luminous
Condition: Ex-display
Retailer: Goldsmiths

Additional specifications

Power reserve: 38 hours
Gem set: Yes

Learn more about Breguet

Abraham-Louis Breguet opened his workshop on the Quai de l'Horloge in Paris in 1775 and proceeded to invent a substantial portion of modern watchmaking. The tourbillon, patented in 1801, remains his most famous contribution, though the pare-chute shock protection, the self-winding perpétuelle, the gong spring for repeaters, and the first wristwatch — made for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810 — all belong to him.

His aesthetic contributions are equally durable and now generic: guilloché dials engraved by hand, blued steel hands with hollowed moon tips, coin-edge case bands, and the slender Breguet numerals. Watches from unrelated houses still use all of them.

The French Revolution forced Breguet to flee to Switzerland in 1793. He returned two years later to a client list that read as the European establishment — Marie Antoinette, Napoleon, the Duke of Wellington, Tsar Alexander I. The Marie Antoinette pocket watch, commissioned in 1783 and finished in 1827 long after both queen and maker were dead, is among the most storied objects in horology.

The company passed through several hands in the twentieth century before Nicolas Hayek acquired it for the Swatch Group in 1999 and invested heavily in restoring its technical standing. The modern Classique and Tradition lines deliberately mine the archive, the latter exposing the movement architecture of Breguet's own subscription watches on the dial side.

1775: Abraham-Louis Breguet opens his Paris workshop.
1801: Patents the tourbillon.
1810: Delivers the first known wristwatch, for the Queen of Naples.
1827: The Marie Antoinette pocket watch is completed.
1999: Acquired by the Swatch Group under Nicolas Hayek.

Also in 6 collections

This watch appears in Watches Under 37mm (1,351), Automatic Watches (1,311), Women's Watches (1,285), Leather Strap Watches (825), Dress Watches (420) and Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (199).

Manufacturer’s guarantee

What the specifications mean

A slim watch on leather, made for wearing with a shirt.

Strengths

25mm wears small and slips under any cuff
Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
Luminous hands and markers for low light

Worth knowing

30m means keeping it away from water
38-hour reserve means winding it after a day off

Best forSmall wristsFormal wear

Less suited toWater

Your new watch

Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch

Can I swim with it?

No. At 30m it will survive rain and handwashing, but not submersion of any kind.

Will the glass scratch?

Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.

Does it need a battery?

No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.

How long does it run for when it's not worn?

About 38 hours fully wound — so it will usually stop if you leave it off overnight.

What size strap does it take?

14mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.

Is it a men's or women's watch?

Listed as women's.

Cheapest place to buy

Goldsmiths at £28,950, ex-display. No UK retailer we track lists this reference new.

Is this available new?

Not from the UK retailers we track. This reference is listed as ex-display only, at £28,950 from Goldsmiths. Ex-display watches are unworn shop stock rather than second-hand — sold below the recommended retail price, and with the manufacturer’s guarantee intact.

Who are Goldsmiths?

Goldsmiths has been selling watches in Britain since 1778 and is part of the Watches of Switzerland Group, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange. They are an authorised dealer, so a watch comes with the manufacturer’s own warranty.