His Highness is certainly keeping up with the times. 

King Charles showed off an elegant Parmigiani Fleurier Toric at Tolu Coker’s show during London Fashion Week. The Swiss watchmaker has experienced a significant surge in popularity over the past few years, with sales tripling after CEO Guido Terreni took the reins in 2021. 

PF’s chic, understated timepieces have attracted a new wave of collectors prioritizing quiet luxury, resulting in lengthy years-long waitlists for new models. The monarch was a fan long before all the hype, though. He purchased this particular chronograph in the early 2000s, according to Parmigiani Fleurier. He has also worn it on several highly publicized occasions, including tributes to his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, and at the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. It is reportedly his “favorite watch.”

The Toric was the first watch Parmigiani released back in 1996, though this particular chronograph was launched in the early 2000s. It is a prime example of Parmigiani’s immaculate craftsmanship and timeless, minimalist aesthetic. Crafted in 18-karat yellow gold, the round 39 mm case is topped with a hand-knurled bezel inspired by the columns of Ancient Greece. Every Toric produced since 1997 has had the same hand-crafted bezel, making it a true signature of the line. Torics typically feature hand-guillochéd dials, too, with solid-gold appliqués and javelin-shaped hands.

Inside beats a Zenith El Primero movement, making the watch a true relic of early Parmigiani. Since 1996, the brand has established an entire watchmaking center and has focused on producing everything in-house. The Zenith Caliber 400z has, of course, been given the Parmigiani treatment, with a gorgeous gold guilloche rotor and other fancy flourishes. 

We couldn’t find this particular example on the secondary market, but we found a similar piece in rose gold priced at $24,350. The latest, limited-edition Toric Chronographe Rattrapante, meanwhile, will cost you 138,000 Swiss francs (about $179,000)—if you can get your hands on one of the 30 produced.

King Charles isn’t a purely Parmigiani guy. We’ve also spotted him in Cartier, Patek Philippe, and Jaeger-LeCoultre watches. His mother was also a fan of JLC, wearing a Calibre 101 for her coronation in 1953. The late queen also had a particularly striking diamond-encrusted Patek. His son, William, meanwhile, pretty much always wears his trusty Omega Seamaster, which was reportedly gifted to him by his mother, the late Princess Diana. Say what you want about the royals, but they do have pretty great taste in watches.