Pope Leo XIV might have recently shown off a fondness for wearing high-tech devices, as many noticed that His Holiness was wearing an Apple Watch during his first official Holy Mass. On the other hand, considering that the new Pope is 69, it wouldn’t be that radical to suggest that he is wearing the device to keep tabs on his heart rate. The timepiece can also send out an alert if the user sets off the fall detection sensor by taking a pretty rough tumble onto the floor.
Additionally, many older men near 70 who otherwise don’t own any modern high-tech devices, have been gifted an Apple Watch by concerned relatives worried about the elderly falling or having a cardiac issue. It is possible that the Pontiff has relatives concerned about his health, and they purchased an Apple Watch for him. On the other hand, if the Pope did buy the Apple Watch for himself, it would stand to reason that he also owns an iPhone. That’s because an Apple Watch owner needs to connect to an iPhone for the initial setup of the timepiece, sync data, and pair the watch with a specific iPhone unit.
Another possibility is that Pope Leo XIV is a watch buff. Nick Gould, who calls himself “an expert Watch spotter,” noticed that “During his first Holy Mass, Pope Leo XIV sported an Apple Watch, which he had worn previously before being elected a Cardinal.” The Pope was also spotted wearing other watches as well. During his first public appearance as Pope, a bit of red came from the Pope’s left sleeve leading some to believe it was a red bezel belonging to a Rolex GMT-Master II.
Others think the red bezel belongs to the Wenger Swiss Military 7223X now named the “Cardinal Red.” When word got out that the 7223X could be the timepiece that the Pope has under his sleeve, the timepiece sold out. But the Apple Watch has been on the Pope’s wrist for a long time, even predating his time as a Cardinal. Other watches worn by past Popes have been as low end as Pope Francis’ black plastic Swatch valued at £50 ($66.52).
Will Pope Leo XIV, the first American Pope, also be the first Pope to embrace tech? There are plenty of 69-year-olds who can easily navigate their way around a smartphone and smartwatch and it will be interesting to see how he incorporates wireless and wearable tech with his job.
