Over the past decades, members of the Royal family have been spotted wearing some of the most beautiful and sought-after watches in the world.
Undoubtedly, these timeless pieces of craftmanship will be prominent features of each Royals attire during and in the run-up to Her Majesty the Queens Platinum Jubilee to celebrate her 70 years of service on 2nd-5th June.
New research conducted by watch experts at Chrono24 reveals the most popular worn watches by the Royal family over the past decades.
The Queen’s favourite watches
- Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse
- Jaeger-LeCoultre Caliber 101
- Vacheron Constantin
- Omega Ladymatic
- Patek Philippe 4975/1G
The Queen upholds one of the most varied and luxurious watch collections, which echoes her practicality and professionalism in being the only female member of the Royal family to have joined the armed forces.
The Queen has always had a love for Patek Philippe and has often been seen wearing the designer watch brand to lavish events, not to mention, in the past she has even loaned her pieces to events.
For example, in 2015 Her Majesty loaned her Patek Philippe 4975/1G to the Saatchi Gallery to be displayed in the Patek Philippe Watch Art Grand Exhabition.
In 1953 a Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 101 was the timepiece of choice for the Queen, and to this day, the beauty of its intricate and minuscule movements inside the watch remains of the smallest calibre in history.
Initially developed in 1929, the watch allowed her to discreetly look at the time during her coronation ceremony, despite the diamond-encrusted bracelet causing an obvious glisten.
It is to be noted that the Queen occasionally gifted loved ones with some of her pieces; for example, Princess Diana received a Vacheron Constantin after her marriage to Prince Charles.
Prince Charles’ favourite watches
- Cartier Santos
- Breguet (Custom piece)
- Patek Philippe 3445 Calatrava
- Hamilton RAF Pilot’s Chronograph
- Parmigiani Fleurier 18K
Prince Charles, following in the footsteps of his mother, is also an avid watch collector who takes inspiration and wears Patek Philippe, Jaeger-Le-Coultre and Cartier.
Although the Prince of Wales prefers a Breguet, Hamilton or Cartier, he is not shy about sporting other famous watch designers, such as Parmigiani Fleurier, which he was wearing at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding.
Despite his love for watches seeing a wide range of designers, the Prince of Wales favours Breguet, a luxury watch manufacturer whose company gifted The Prince a custom piece designed solely for his wear.
Duke of Cambridge’s favourite watch
Arguably, the younger generation of Royals seems to seek less extravagant and extensive watch collections and opt to keep one or two timeless watches to carry on their wrists, and Prince William is no exception.
Prince William’s prize-possession watch that has seen many joyous and memorable occasions is the Omega Seamaster Professional 300M Mid-Size.
Not only has the watch seen Prince William through his wedding day to Kate Middleton and other milestone events, but the watch has tremendous sentimental value as it was a gift from his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.
Duchess of Cambridge’s favourite watch
The Duchess of Cambridge is the epitome of style and class, which reflects in her taste in classic watches.
Despite the Duchess only ever being spotted wearing a 33mm Cartier Ballon Bleu wristwatch given to her by Prince William, the piece effortlessly ties in with her sapphire engagement ring.
