As the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, King Charles III has acquired an impressive collection of watches – particularly throughout his 64-year stint as the Prince of Wales. While Charles does possess some extraordinarily luxurious models from storied houses including Cartier and Patek Philippe, he also owns some unexpected designs from the likes of Hamilton.
As the King celebrates his 76th birthday today, Something About Rocks takes a look back at some of the rarest and most intriguing timepieces in his watch box.
The long-time favourite
Charles has been wearing this under-the-radar gem by Parmigiani Fleurier for quite some time, including at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and the first full day of his reign while attending to mourning crowds in the wake of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Charles’ yellow gold automatic Toric Chronograph was designed around 2005 and has long been discontinued.
The personal heirloom
Perhaps the most personal timepiece in the King’s collection, this stainless steel chronograph from Hamilton is believed to have been issued to Charles during his training as an RAF pilot in 1971, following which he would go on to join the Royal Navy in the same year, where he would serve until 1976, having qualified as a helicopter pilot in 1974. As Prince of Wales and Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps, he was seen wearing it on meetings with serving officers.
The rarest in his rotation
On his 60th birthday in 2008, Charles received this one-off Breguet timepiece – crafted in yellow gold with contrasting guilloché dial details – bearing the Prince of Wales’ seal (three feathers rising through a gold coronet of alternate crosses and fleur-de-lys) and the inscription: “HRH The Prince of Wales in commemoration of your 60th birthday”.
The polo icon
A staple among British royals, Charles also owns a Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso in yellow gold, kitted out with the model’s distinctive swivelling mechanism that was originally designed to be worn on the polo field.
The elegant Patek
Charles has long favoured a Patek Philippe ref. 3445, a style nicknamed the Disco Volante for its distinctive flying saucer-style case shape. His model comes complete with a three-hand dial and yellow gold case with recessed crown.
The classic Cartier
Another royal favourite, Charles’ watch collection includes several models from Cartier, including a yellow gold and stainless steel Santos-Dumont de Cartier on a simple black leather strap and a yellow gold Tank Louis Cartier on black alligator leather.
Like this? Here’s the real reason King Charles always wears a ring on his pinky
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