When it comes to money, the British royal family lacks nothing. If they wanted to, the family could show off their luxury much more openly. But unlike top athletes, tech billionaires and influencers, the royals often exercise surprising restraint. This also applies to jewelry and watches.
This was recently noticed more and more at the European Championships. Prince William was a frequent guest at the games – and the attention was drawn to his wrist. But what kind of watches do the royals actually wear? They certainly have good taste, but the relatively small collection is still a little surprising.
Prince William is loyal to his Omega
William is probably the most loyal wearer of one watch. His mother Diana is said to have given him an Omega Seamaster Professional 300M with a quartz movement when he was young. The heir to the throne also wears this watch – and only wears it. No matter what occasion Harry’s brother is seen on – the Omega accompanies him. Anyone who would like to have William’s watch doesn’t have to dig too deep into their pockets thanks to the quartz movement. It costs around 2000 euros.
His brother, Prince Harry, only wears a timepiece now and then. But when he does, it is sometimes a real eye-catcher. In addition to his Breitling Aerospace Avantage, which he received from the British Air Force as a combat helicopter pilot, the prince is also occasionally seen wearing a Rolex Explorer II with a white dial. Theoretically, you could buy him the watch for around 10,000 euros – but then the very special engraving, which also comes from the Air Force, would be missing.
Meghan Markle, his wife, seems to be somewhat influenced by Princess Diana’s taste. Markle also wears a Cartier Tank Française. She apparently owns two of them: one watch, a model made of yellow gold, is said to be from Diana’s inheritance. Another example in bicolor, which is what watches made of a steel-gold mix are called, is said to have been bought by her during her time as the lead actress in the hit series “Suits”. There, on the case back, is reportedly engraved “To MM, from MM”.
Cartier, the traditional French brand, is often found in the royal family. Diana wore watches from the house, as does the king sometimes, and his wife. When Camilla wears a watch alongside jewelry from her favorite brand, Van Cleef & Arpels, she also wears a Cartier Tank on her wrist. Yellow gold, on a leather strap.
As far as the model of the watch goes, Kate is an outlier. She also wears Cartier, but opted for a stainless steel Ballon Bleu – if she had a say in the choice. The watch is said to be a gift from William for their third wedding anniversary.
King Charles III is a watch lover
The most varied choice of timepiece is King Charles III – even as a prince he wore a wide variety of brands and models. He probably got that from his mother. In addition to watches from Patek Philippe, Queen Elizabeth II also owned other unusual pieces, such as the Jaeger-LeCoultre Caliber 101, which she wore to her coronation.
The king often chooses a brand that is rarely seen. He is often seen with a Parmigiani Fleurier Toric chronograph on his arm. Not because this watch is particularly expensive, but probably because Charles appreciates the craftsmanship of small manufacturers and does not place much value on big names.
Find out which watches you can sometimes (or always) see on the wrists of the royals in the gallery.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
