Coach dean Ryan has taken time off from preparing for the weekend's play-off semi-final against Leicester Tigers to announce the latest addition to his squad.
Ryan told the Citizen (and the club site for that matter): "Matthew has a proven pedigree as a top-class outside centre and he will bring experience, big-game expertise and first-class attitude to our squad.
"At Gloucester we are promoting an environment where players have to fight for their places and Matthew's addition emphasises that. I am really pleased he has decided to join us because he was in demand by a number of clubs and for him to choose Gloucester affirms the direction in which we are heading."
Watkins is halfway through a three-year contract at Scarlets. he said: "When the opportunity arose for me to meet with Dean Ryan and look at the set-up in place at Gloucester and their outstanding training facilities at Hartpury College, I knew it was simply too good to refuse.
"When you talk of massive clubs in England and Europe, Gloucester are right up there and I am very fortunate that I now have the opportunity to test myself with them.
"Their ambition is to be challenging regularly for honours and that is why this move is of such importance to me. It is a fantastic opportunity to take my career in a new and fresh direction and I cannot wait to get started."
With players like Andy Hazell struggling to even get in the squad at Kingsholm, the competition for places Ryan mentioned is clearly there as Glaws appear to becoming the Chelsea of the Guinness Premiership.
Last weekend's try-scoring hero in the win over Bath, James Simpson-Daniel said that Ryan told Tom Walkinshaw that building the Glaws squad wasn't going to take one year, it was going to take a few.
He added: "This is the season where we can't afford to say, 'Give us another year'.
"It's a great opportunity. We are there at the business end of the season. We've got the majority of bodies fit and available in the squad and we've got to go out and prove it rather than putting it off."

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