King Philippe Watch Collection - Every Watch He's Been Spotted Wearing
King Philippe currently has 1 watches in his collection. Check them in our database.
Introduction to King Philippe
King Philippe of Belgium ascended to the throne on 21 July 2013, succeeding his father King Albert II. Born in 1960, he trained as a military pilot with the Belgian Air Component and holds advanced degrees from the Royal Military Academy in Brussels and Oxford University. As the seventh King of the Belgians, Philippe serves as head of state of a constitutional monarchy and is widely regarded as a measured, dutiful figure in European royal circles — present at NATO summits, state visits, and national ceremonies throughout the year, but rarely courting personal publicity.
The King Philippe watch collection, at least as far as public sightings go, leans toward functional, understated sports watches rather than dress pieces. The clearest evidence of his personal taste comes from a sighting shared via the Belgian Royal Palace's own social channels, which revealed Philippe wearing the Rolex GMT-Master II reference 116710BLNR — the steel, Oyster-cased GMT that collectors have long called the 'Batman' because of its two-tone blue and black Cerachrom bezel. Rolex introduced the 116710BLNR at Baselworld in 2013, the same year Philippe became king, and it was the first instance of the manufacture producing a two-color ceramic bezel in that specific combination. The reference has since been discontinued, replaced by the 126710BLNR on a Jubilee bracelet, which makes Philippe's version a piece collectors actively seek out.
That a reigning European monarch would wear a discontinued steel sports Rolex rather than a high-complication dress watch from a traditional royal-adjacent manufacture says something concrete about Philippe's personal approach. The GMT-Master II is a tool watch at its core — built around a pilot's need to read two time zones simultaneously — and its appearance on the wrist of a former military pilot is a straightforward fit. It reflects practicality over ceremony, which appears consistent with the broader public image of a monarch who tends to let his work speak louder than his wardrobe.
King Philippe of Belgium Spotted Wearing Stainless Steel Rolex GMT-Master II 'Batman' Ref. 116710BLNR
Inserted 30/11/2022
The Rolex GMT-Master II 116710BLNR earned its 'Batman' nickname from the midnight blue and black ceramic Cerachrom bezel — a combination Rolex introduced in 2013 and quietly discontinued in 2019, replaced by the jubilee-bracelet 'Batman' successor. That discontinuation makes the 116710BLNR one of the most coveted modern Rolex references on the secondary market. King Philippe of Belgium, a monarch with understated, functional taste in watches, was photographed wearing exactly this reference — a choice that speaks to quiet confidence over ostentation.
