The current Reine de Naples line of watches is inspired by the watch Abraham-Louis Breguet created for Napoleon Bonaparte's sister Caroline, Queen of Naples. In honor of the 200th anniversary of the original, Breguet has introduced a Grande Complication to the collection called the automatic strike. Every hour, two hammers located in apertures at 11 and 1 o’clock remind the wearer that another hour has passed with a double strike, which is repeated three times. Breguet has done a variation of what is called sonnerie en passant, a passing strike that chimes once on the hour.
I love watches that talk to me. I find them not only charming but practical as well. The complication originates from the era before electric lighting left us is its constant glare. At night or in low light situations, if the time couldn’t be seen, it could be heard.
With time racing by at such a lighting pace in our modern world, the striking Reine de Naples is a subtle nudge to remind us of the passing hours. If you’d prefer to lose yourself in the moment, the watch provides that option too. A pushpiece at 2 o’clock sets and deactivates the strike function.
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