When it comes to the Royal Family, it always feels like there's a time and a place for them to bring unrivalled glamour.
Whether it's the glittering tiara moments or times where the sweeping gowns feel like they're from another time, they know how to make a statement. But, as any horologist (that's the proper word for a watch enthusiast) will tell you, sometimes the real luxury can be found on a smaller part of the body: the wrist.
From true works of art from the likes of Swiss company Patek Philippe to reliable, resplendent Rolexes, let's keep things ticking along and check the best-ever royal watches.
A look at the royals' enviable watch collection, from vintage Cartier to gifts from presidents
Queen Elizabeth II's pearl and diamond Patek Philippe Ellipse
Queen Elizabeth II being, well, Queen Elizabeth, one of her most luxurious watches was a step above the usual fare.
Her Majesty owned a custom-made Ellipse model by Patek Philippe, arguably the premiere name in luxury watches. The watch, made from 18 carat white gold, was decorated with baguette shaped diamonds and paired with a unique strap made of multiple pearl strands, pairing well with the Queen's favourite three-strand pearl necklace she often chose to wear.
Her Majesty wouldn't wear this piece often, but when she did, it was always on elevated occasions, like the State Opening of Parliament, often paired with one of her glittering crowns.
Kate Middleton's Ballon Bleu de Cartier
Catherine, Princess of Wales tends to stick with just one watch, but when it's as iconic as the Ballon Bleu de Cartier, that hardly seems like a compromise.
It's perfect for someone like Kate - a sporty, active, mother of three who is still partial to glamour. The stainless steel makes it durable and easy to wear daily, but elegant touches like its blued-steel, sword-shaped hands and sapphire crystal make it stylish and luxe - not to mention a perfect pairing for Kate's sapphire engagement ring.
Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation watch
On the day of her coronation in 1953, Queen Elizabeth II wore a deluxe Jaeger-LeCoultre 101 watch.
It was a gift from Vincent Auriol, the President of France at the time, ahead of the historic moment, and she would receive a white gold diamond version of the same watch from Jaeger-LeCoultre for her Diamond Jubilee in 2012.
The LeCoultre 101 is renowned because it features the world’s smallest mechanical movement.
Princess Diana's Patek Philippe
As one of the most highly esteemed luxury watch makers, celebrities and royalty flock to own a Patek Philippe, and they make for an incomparable statement maker.
The late Princess Diana, per several sources, is believed to have been gifted her Patek Philippe as a 20th birthday present from her husband-to-be, the (at the time) Prince Charles.
The stunning watch was the 18-carat yellow gold Patek Philippe Calatrava which featured a champagne coloured dial.
Queen Elizabeth's one-of-a-kind wedding present
In 1947, ahead of her wedding to Prince Philip, the Swiss Federal Republic presented the future Queen Elizabeth II with a Vacheron et Constantin 4481 watch.
The delicate timepiece was made entirely of gold and diamonds and was designed exclusively for Her Majesty. She wore the watch for her coronation portrait and, touchingly, she would later gift it to her daughter-in-law, Princess Diana.
Princess Diana (wearing Charles' watch)
For a time, the always stylish and trend-setting Princess Diana was spotted 'double wristing', seemingly pairing her own gold watch with a more masculine looking Patek Philippe, assumed to have belonged to Prince Charles.
The chunkier watch seen on Diana's wrist as she watched her husband-to-be play polo has been reportedly identified as a Patek Philippe Calatrava Disco Volante.
Queen Elizabeth II's Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse
Most people in life would be lucky to own just one Patek Philippe, but for someone like Queen Elizabeth II, it's not a surprise she had several to choose from. One which she wore more often than her more elaborate diamond-and-pearl timepiece, Her Majesty sported an 18 carat white gold Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse.
Known for its distinctive oval shape and intricate diamond designs, plus a striking blue dial, the Golden Ellipse set had a surge in popularity in recent years as the rapper Drake sported very similar pieces to the late Queen.
Proof that Her Majesty's style was timeless!
Queen Camilla's Cartier Tank Francaise
Queen Camilla appears to stick to just one watch, and she's picked an all-time classic, the Tank Française.
Created by Louis Cartier in 1917, the Tank Française watches have become one of the tentpoles of the luxury watch world, easily recognised and admired for their unique aesthetic with round corners and distinctive flat vertical edges. While the Tank can come in many styles, Queen Camilla opts for a timeless, traditional black strap and gold dial.
Meghan Markle wears Diana's gold Cartier
Meghan Markle has been spotted wearing a special heirloom often, adding Princess Diana's gold Cartier Tank Française watch to her jewellery collection.
The elegant and timeless piece was inherited by Prince Harry after his mother's death in 1997, and Harry gifted the exquisite piece to his wife.
Queen Elizabeth's understated Audemars Piguet
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II had plenty of decadent and divine watches, but when it came to a more subtle, everyday choice, she opted for an Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars.
While still elegant (and bespoke), the gold, sturdy watch could be worn with Her Majesty's many colourful outfits without pulling focus or looking too eye-catching. This is, perhaps, why she chose to wear the watch frequently for engagements and speeches, like during her 2020 address to the nation during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Duchess Sophie's Patek Philippe
Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, has often been seen wearing a Patek Philippe creation.
Sophie's watch is part of the Swiss company's Twenty~4 collection, described on the brand's website as a "new embodiment of femininity."
Sophie's black, diamond Patek Philippe includes a double diamond row bezel and grey sunburst dial.
Queen Elizabeth II's rare Patek Philippe
Another rare and unusual piece collected by Queen Elizabeth II was spotted by shrewd horologists as she hosted a reception in 2022.
Paired with her soft blue dress, Her Majesty's yellow gold Ladies Calatrava Patek Philippe shone bright. The rare watch features a quartz movement and a 'Beads of Rice' bracelet.
Princess Anne's Rolex
In the 1970s, flashes of Princess Anne's Rolex have led many watch specialists to identify it as the ultra rare Cosmograph Daytona 6265 Paul Newman.
A classic iteration of the Rolex, the Daytona watches have become extremely coveted. And Princess Anne's model, named after Hollywood star Paul Newman, was apparently a reference to the actor's love of the watch.
King Charles' Santos de Cartier
A suave man who is almost as recognised for his own understated style as his mother was celebrated for her colourful ensembles, King Charles was spotted wearing a sophisticated Santos de Cartier in his younger days.
Created in 1904, The Santos de Cartier was first designed by Louis Cartier for pilot Albert Santos-Dumont. Due to the difficulty of checking a pocket watch during flight, Albert Santos-Dumont requested Louis Cartier to create a watch that was easily accessible.
The result is something that's practical, but with poise. Perfect for a prince (and now a king).
Queen Elizabeth's classic vintage timepiece
Interestingly, considering how the provenance of most of Queen Elizabeth II's clothes and accessories are so well recorded, Her Majesty regularly wore a classic looking watch whose designer is unknown.
Regularly wearing the piece, which featured a chunky dial and a black leather strap for a timeless look, she would wear it everywhere from attending horse shows at Windsor to being spotted around Balmoral.
Queen Elizabeth's Omega Ladymatic
Another regular favourite worn by Queen Elizabeth II, the Omega DeVille Ladymatic featured the smallest automatic chronometer certified movement in the world.
As well as this very specific watch fact, the stunning Art Deco piece was made from 14 carat yellow gold and featured a cream white dial with Baton indices.
Duchess Sophie's Apple watch
We love that, amongst all the glamorous timepieces, Duchess Sophie keeps things relatable and practical with an Apple Watch.
Smart watches and fitness watches, like the Apple Watch, Fitbits and other brands, have become hugely popular, a great way of making multi-tasking simple and stylish.
King Charles' Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso
Like mother, like son, King Charles had his very own majestic watch from Jaeger.
Queen Elizabeth's Jaeger-LeCoultre was a gift for her Coronation, and King Charles' Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso comes with a fascinating story too.
The original design of the watch was built for British soldiers playing polo in India, and the fear of their expensive watches getting smashed meant that the design introduced an easy rotating function.
Princess Beatrice's Rolex
Princess Beatrice is another member of the Royal Family whose shown an interest in a signature timepiece, rocking the Rolex Air King on several occasions. The watch - which has sleek, versatile quality with its stainless steel - had subtle stylish touches, like the orange numerals.
We love that Beatrice's watch matches her personal style - it wouldn't look out of place at her regular day jobs, with Beatrice having held jobs including a strategist for major software companies, and it would look equally suitable at a glamorous function with her sister, Princess Eugenie.
Zara Tindall's Rolexes
Zara Tindall has been affiliated with Rolex - the Swiss luxury watchmakers who were founded in London in 1905 (but relocated to Geneva in 1919) - since 2006, acting as one of their official Testimonees.
As part of this role, she gets to showcase some of the brand's defining pieces.
One popular model spotted regularly on Zara is the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Lady-Datejust Pearlmaster, which features a dark, sleek, stainless steel case and 18 carat yellow gold.
Prince William's sentimental Omega Seamaster
Prince William has kept his choice of wristwear pretty consistent over the years, and there's a poignant reason why.
The Prince of Wales was gifted his Omega Seamaster Professional 300M by his late mother, Princess Diana. It's a watch with great connotations, having been prominently worn by Pierce Brosnan when he played James Bond in Goldeneye, and it was worn again by Daniel Craig in Casino Royale.
Princess Margaret's Baume wristwatch
After it went up for auction at Christie's, we have more insight into the kind of watch Princess Margaret liked.
The late Queen's younger sister owned a Lady's wristwatch, by Baume, which featured a square dial with Arabic numerals, a gold-plated case and hollow bracelet of bombé brick-link design.
The watch sold for £1,250 in 2010.
Queen Letizia's Audermars Piguet Royal Oak
Queen Letizia of Spain was spotted wearing a two-tone vintage Audemars Piguet Royal Oak in 18 carat yellow gold and stainless steel watch in 2007.
The classic watch features a grey dial and a quartz movement, and, as we so often see with Letizia's style, is a great mix of elegant and understated.
King Charles' Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Chronograph
Worn often by King Charles, including in the weeks after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Charles’ Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Chronograph is a unique timepiece from a name that's perhaps under the radar compared to others.
But The Gentleman's Journal reports that Charles picked up the piece from Klosters, the ski resort the Royal Family are known to love. So not only is there an emotional connection, the watch features regal touches like a prominent silhouette and gold rotor.
Prince Harry's Rolex Explorer II
A timepiece frequently worn by Prince Harry, the Polar Dial Rolex Explorer II stayed on Harry's wrist even during his deployment to Afghanistan.
Interestingly, Rolex have a history with the military. In 2014, the company were commissioned to commemorate the UK Apache operations with a specific type of Explorer II.
Harry was an Apache helicopter co-pilot and gunner, so it's possible this Rolex is from this unique, and highly personal, collection.
Pippa Middleton's Longines la Grande Classique
Ok, ok. Pippa Matthews - nee Middleton - isn't technically royalty. But as the only sister to the future queen, she belongs on the list.
And so does her watch, the Longines la Grande Classique. Per the brand's site, the style "launched in 1992, is characterised by its slim profile, its sleek round case and its range of sizes, materials and colours."
For horologists, Pippa's exact model is the L4.209.2
Meghan Markle's personal Cartier
While Meghan, Duchess of Sussex regularly wears the gold Cartier watch that belonged to Prince Harry given to her by Prince Harry, she has always had an affinity for the Tank Française and treated herself to a pre-royal version of her own.
Meghan bought her two-tone Cartier Tank Française in 2015, to celebrate the continuing success of her show, Suits. She has described how she engraved the keepsake piece with a message, which read "To M.M. From M.M."
Princess Margaret's Cartier present
A Cartier watch bought for Princess Margaret by the Queen Mother for her 20th birthday went up for sale during a 2013 auction.
Details from the sale implied that the Queen Mother purchased the delicate Art Deco watch second hand from the French maison directly in 1940, paying just £100 (which would've been worth more back then, of course). However, the piece soared in value since then and was said to be worth £150,000.
Prince Harry's Breitling Aerospace
Prince Harry has several watches that have deeper meaning, notably to his time spent serving with the armed forces.
One such watch is the customised Breitling Aerospace.
The Breitling Aerospace Avantage was available for purchase by Apache pilots with combat deployments. The dial includes the Army Air Corps Wings at 9 o'clock and a front profile view of the Apache helicopter at 3 o’clock.
Grace Kelly's Rolex Lady-Datejust
Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco and Hollywood icon, was celebrated for her faultless style over the years.
While her official duties often saw her wearing gloves, Grace was often spotted wearing a Rolex Lady-Datejust when out and about on less official duties.
The Rolex Lady-Datejust was made with 18 carat yellow gold, a fluted bezel and featured the brand's renowned Jubilee bracelet.
Prince Harry's Casio G-Shock
After Prince Harry graduated from Sandhurst Military Academy, the Duke of Sussex was seen wearing a Casio G-Shock.
The watch is something of a tradition for military officials to wear, based on its durability and range of functions, like water resistance.
Princess Anne's practical wristwatch
She's proven that she can glam up with the best of them - from her sparkling tiaras and vintage Rolex watches - but there's something so on-brand about Princess Anne eschewing the bells and whistles and opting for a practical, functional everyday watch.
The Princess Royal's sporty-looking wristwatch has been spotted over the years, especially when she's outdoors and in her element.
