Breguet Reine de Naples Cammea Watch: A Stunning Revival Of Cameo Work

Gorgeous ladies timepieces are not in short supply these days.  However, there’s nothing quite like the extraordinary Reine de Naples Ref. 8958 “Cammea” watch from Breguet.  Breguet’s artisans went beyond elegant casework (something all Reine de Naples models certainly have) beyond gem-setting excellence (unquestioned), and even beyond a fine mechanical movement (a given-this is Breguet).  They turned to the nearly forgotten cameo, an ancient art involving the intricate carving of stones such as carnelian or agate.  Remarkably, in creating the Cammea watch, Breguet elected to use seashell–an exceptional challenge due to the fingerprint-unique layer structure, shape variances, and transparency of this  material.

Despite having such a minuscule surface with which to embark on this painstaking work, artisans creating the Cammea dial achieve perfection worthy of a Renaissance master sculptor.  The sunflowers carved into the seashell dial appear incredibly real due to their amazing intricacy and three dimensional relief.  The sight is so splendid that you really don’t need those 2.42 carats of round brilliant diamonds that encircle the bezel–but, in true Breguet fashion, the impression given is of nothing but regal beauty–and impeccable good taste.

While I doubt the fortunate few women cherishing the Breguet Reine de Naples Cammea will spend too much time obsessing over the backside of this particular watch, its worth noting that the sight is definitely a lovely one.  The sapphire back gives a view to the skilled artistry of the Breguet watchmakers, evidenced by bridges glistening with Cotes de Geneve and anglage finishes.  A lovely touch here is the  18K  rotor, which echoes the seashell cameo dial through a charming natural mother of pearl inlay.

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