Step into Breguet’s 1881 boutique and be transported to the extravagant world of 18th century French aristocracy whilst admiring a limited edition Reine de Naples
Breguet Focus
In rosy-toned, romantic surroundings inspired by the ‘pink moon’ theme of a special edition Reine de Naples 8905 timepiece, a pop-up exhibition and round of Valentine’s Day celebrations are taking place at the 1881 Heritage Breguet flagship store in Tsim Sha Tsui from now until 24th February.
A collaboration with perfume boutique Parfumerie Trésor will see the fragrances of several French queens revealed during a champagne reception on February 13th just before Valentine’s Day, while at a special ‘Pink Moon Workshop’ on 16 February, Breguet owners are welcome to create their own pink moon with their significant others.
And taking pride of place in the exhibition is the Reine de Naples 8905, which will be displayed alongside several other spectacular women’s high jewellery timepieces from Breguet.
And if it’s romance and nostalgia you’re looking for, this timepiece has quite a storied past. While her older brother Napoleon set about expanding the French empire, Caroline Murat did her part to boost the country’s economy—not least, by supporting the horological arts.
Between 1808 and 1815, the years she held the throne as Queen consort of Naples, Caroline ordered no less than 34 clocks and watches from illustrious Paris-based Swiss watchmaker, Abraham-Louis Breguet. Among these was a timepiece that is thought to be the very first wristwatch ever produced.
Breguet’s records show that on 8 June 1810, the Queen placed an order for “a repeater watch for bracelet for which we shall charge 5,000 Francs.” (To put this sum in perspective, a labourer in that era might’ve earned just one Franc per day.)
Archive descriptions attest that the watch was “a timepiece of unprecedented construction and extraordinary refinement, namely an exceptionally thin, oval repeater watch with complications, mounted on a wristlet of hair and gold thread.”
