Crowning Glory: The British Royalty’s Favorite Watches
Right from the discreet Jaeger-LeCoultre 101, which graced the Queen’s wrist on her coronation day in 1953 to Princess Diana’s gold Cartier Tank Française now worn by Meghan Markle, here’s a look at the most popular wrist wear within the royal family
Watches have graced the wrists of the affluent for decades and this goes without saying for the British royal family as well. Being under the spotlight means the media is always watching them – from where they’re headed to what they’re wearing, and for us – the watches they choose to make a statement or not.
According to Forbes, the British royal family is worth about $88 billion, with the majority of it coming from a sovereign grant and multiple real estate investments. They have the money to afford the most sought-after and highly priced watches in the market, if they wanted to, and based on what has been seen on them, the Royals, especially the women of the family, love their classic Cartiers. While Prince Charles is mostly photographed wearing a Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Chronograph, the Queen seems to favor a variety of timepieces from Patek Philippe, Omega and Jaeger-Le Coultre. One of the most remarkable pieces from her collection is the diamond-set Caliber 101 bracelet watch.
Here’s a look at some of the most favored timepieces among the British Royals.
Queen Elizabeth II
Marking the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty The Queen’s Coronation this year (celebrated last weekend over four days), the occasion, then, in 1953 itself was an iconic and ground-breaking ceremony – setting a record at the time for being the first-ever Coronation to be broadcasted. As 27 million people in the United Kingdom and millions more around the world watched the newly crowned Queen at Westminster Abbey, her look stood out – her dress was designed by British fashion designer Norman Hartnell, she wore two crowns during the celebrations, and, of course, her jewels didn't go unnoticed.
With all eyes on her, the Queen was able to check the time discreetly while maintaining the traditional etiquette, thanks to the dainty Caliber 101 set in an exquisite secret watch, powered by the world's smallest watch movement. Initially introduced in 1929, the Caliber 101 came into limelight during the Queen’s coronation ceremony. Still the smallest and one of the oldest movements, it’s still in production today, though just in limited quantities. Vincent Auriol, President of France from 1947 to 1953, gifted the watch to Queen Elizabeth II before she was crowned. In celebration of her diamond jubilee in 2012, Jérôme Lambert, former CEO of Jaeger-LeCoultre presented her with a white gold diamond version of the timeless Caliber 101. "The entire family of Jaeger-LeCoultre is particularly proud to see the 101 in the Royal Collection again," said Mr Lambert to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth as she gazed at the timepiece and its minute proportions.
Looking back at the last 70 years, one can tell that the Queen’s definitely a watch aficionado – she’s been fond of fine watchmaking from a very young age and has since been adding to her collection. The Queen's Jewels: The Personal Collection of Elizabeth II, a 1987 study of her jewels, reveals that Her Majesty had about 14 wristwatches in her collection at the time of the book’s publication. From Patek Philippe’s Golden Ellipse to the diamond-set Vacheron Constantin model 4481, the Queen has a taste like no other, and over the years she has even indulged in pieces like Audemars Piguet's Jules Audemars watch, which she was seen wearing during a broadcast during the fight against COVID-19 in the United Kingdom. The Swiss Federal Republic presented Her Majesty the Vacheron Constantin model 4481 as a wedding gift in 1947.
The Queen was also photographed wearing a 20mm vintage 14k gold Omega 'Ladymatic' with a cream colored dial in a 1992 portrait. If you didn't already know, Omega has been credited for introducing the first automatic ladies' wristwatch and her Majesty has been seen wearing that particular piece on several occasions.
One of the most versatile and elegant looking pieces in the Queen’s collection is the diamond and pearl Patek Philippe 4975/1G. Featuring baguette-cut diamonds and pearl straps, it was exhibited at Patek Philippe’s Royal Watches Exhibition in 2015.
Princess Diana
Princess Diana, a style icon for many, was always appreciated for her well-curated wardrobe and aesthetic sense. To whoever got to watch the 1981 legendary wedding of Princess Diana and Prince Charles, lucky you! Her Majesty presented the Vacheron Constantin model 4481 (mentioned earlier) to her newly-wed daughter-in-law as a wedding present.
During the early years of her marriage to Prince Charles, Diana was frequently sighted wearing a yellow gold Patek Philippe Ref. 3618, which Prince Charles had presented her as she entered her twenties. In a picture from 1983, she is seen wearing two Pateks at the same time; the bigger one of which is Prince Charles' Patek Philippe Ref. 3445 (Disco Volante) and the smaller is the aforementioned Ref. 3618.
At her wedding, Princess Diana was given many more timepieces aside from the one gifted by the Queen. The Arabian royal family presented her with a bejeweled Asprey watch, which she modified into her famous choker necklace. Following the 15-year marriage and then divorce, the Princess of Wales was often seen sporting her Cartier watches, of which she owned two: a tank Louis Cartier with a yellow gold case and black alligator strap and a yellow gold Tank Française, which was a gift from her father, Earl Edward John Spencer. Following his mother's death, Prince William inherited the Tank Française, which has since been passed down to the Duchess of Sussex.
Prince Charles
Sticking to the classics, Prince Charles has a liking for Cartier’s Santos and Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso. He was often seen switching between the two timepieces back in the 1980s. In recent years, however, he’s been spotted wearing a rare Parmigiani Fleurier Toric chronograph. As per Watchonista’s article The Unlikely Watch Collector: Prince Charles, the Parmigiani watch was most likely acquired on his behalf by a member of his close circle on an incognito trip to the brand's London boutique.
In the early ‘70s while he was training as a jet pilot, Prince Charles used to wear a Hamilton RAF Pilot’s Chronograph. The Prince of Wales has also been seen wearing a custom Breguet gifted to him by the Swiss watch and jewelry manufacturer for his 60th birthday.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton
If you haven’t already noticed, Prince William is almost always wearing his Omega Seamaster Professional Quartz 300m model, and not just because he likes the watch itself, but also because it has sentimental value - the watch was a gift from his mother, Princess Diana, before she passed. He also wore the timepiece for his wedding to Kate Middleton in 2011. His beloved Seamaster Professional features a chronometer, a screw-in crown, a unidirectional rotating bezel and a helium-escape valve. Though rarely seen, the Prince also owns a couple of watches from Rolex and Breitling.
Serving classy looks with every public appearance, it’s no doubt that the Duchess of Cambridge loves her Cartier Ballon Bleu model in steel. She's been flaunting the 33mm watch on her wrist, which complements her 12-carat oval sapphire engagement ring that once belonged to Princess Diana. Featuring a silver dial and blue sword-shaped hands, her Cartier Ballon Bleu with stainless steel case has a matching strap.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Having served in the military for 10 years until 2015, Prince Harry's watches of choice have remained faithful to their purpose and functionality. He used to wear a limited-edition Rolex Explorer II watch, one of just 48 manufactured. The Ref. 216570 was made to order specifically for his unit, the Attack Helicopter Regiment. The 42 mm watch has a gorgeous white dial with an orange second hand inspired by the classic Ref. 1655.
His Breitling Aerospace Avantage, which is traditionally presented to Apache pilots who have flown in combat missions, is another timepiece that has been regularly seen on his wrist, most notably during Prince William’s wedding.
Meghan, like the Duchess of Cambridge, prefers to keep things simple and elegant. In an interview with Hello! Magazine in 2015, Markle revealed she had purchased a Cartier Tank for herself. "I had it engraved on the back, 'To M.M. From M.M.' and I plan to give it to my daughter one day. That's what makes pieces special, the connection you have to them," the Duchess of Sussex said. She was pictured wearing that watch multiple times after being handed Princess Diana's Cartier Tank Française, which William inherited and then exchanged with Harry for Kate's engagement ring. She wore it recently in a portrait of the duo published just before their Time100 Talks episode.
