Why does Prince William wear two watches at the same time?

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published 18 February 2023

Prince William has left royal fans confounded as, during his last two public appearances, he was spotted wearing two watches at the same time.

Prince William has recently been spotted wearing two watches at the same time, one on each wrist, with royal fans desperate to know why he needs both.
After much speculation, the reason behind the move is actually both practical and heartwarming.
In other royal news, Prince William’s cheeky sense of humour leaves teenagers ‘speechless’ as he joins unexpected video call.

During his last two public appearances, Prince William was wearing two watches at the same time, one on each wrist. While some speculated he was trying to start a new, albeit strange, fashion trend, a quick look at the type of watch on each wrist explains exactly why he chose to wear both.

On one wrist, William can be seen wearing an Omega Seamaster 300m. The watch was reportedly a gift from his mother, the late Princess Diana, and obviously holds a lot of sentimental value for the future King. He has rarely been seen without it over the last 20 years.

On his other wrist, Prince William wore a Garmin Forerunner 245 smartwatch. It makes a lot of sense that William would chose to wear a fitness tracker like this one as both him and his wife, Kate Middleton, have been very open about their passion for living a healthy lifestyle.

So the reason behind the seemingly impractical move is actually a very practical one. One watch is a timeless piece with sentimental value, while the other allows him to monitor and achieve his fitness goals.

Prince William isn't the only royal who likes to keep an eye on his fitness levels. Smartwatches appear to be a big hit with other royals including William's stepmother, Queen Consort Camilla, who has worn a FitBit Charge for several years, and his uncle, Prince Edward, who has also been spotted wearing an activity tracker.

Since becoming the Queen Consort, it seems that Camilla has be wearing her fitness tracker less regularly. Instead, she has chosen to replace it with a Cartier watch, with many royal fans and commentators speculating that the FitBit was seen as too informal for the wife of a King.

As William's role in the family becomes evermore serious, with him now sitting first in line to the throne, it will be interesting to see if he continues to wear his tracker or sets it aside.

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Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse is a news writer for Goodtoknow, specialising in family content. She began her freelance journalism career after graduating from Nottingham Trent University with an MA in Magazine Journalism, receiving an NCTJ diploma, and earning a First Class BA (Hons) in Journalism at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute. She has also worked with BBC Good Food and The Independent.