Royal Abdul Mateen spotted wearing a Jaeger LeCoultre

Prince Abdul Mateen of Brunei was photographed wearing a Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Small Seconds, reference 3978480, during official celebrations of Brunei's 38th National Day — a state occasion that drew international attention as much for the prince's style as for its political significance.

The Reverso Tribute Small Seconds ref. 3978480 sits within Jaeger-LeCoultre's entry point into the iconic Reverso family, but entry point is a relative term. The case measures 45.6 x 27.4 mm in stainless steel and houses the manually wound Calibre 822, a 19-ligne movement beating at 21,600 vph with a 42-hour power reserve. The blue guilloché-textured dial features a small seconds subdial at 6 o'clock and applied hour markers — restrained, classical, and entirely correct for formal wear. The reversible case — the defining feature of every Reverso since 1931 — exposes a plain polished caseback on the reverse, a blank canvas some owners engrave for personalisation.

The Reverso's origins are genuinely functional. Swiss-British engineer René-Alfred Chauvot patented the swivelling case mechanism in 1931 specifically so British officers playing polo in India could flip the crystal face inward and protect it from mallet strikes. Jaeger-LeCoultre acquired the concept, and nine decades later the architecture remains essentially unchanged — a remarkable testament to the design's integrity. The Tribute line represents the most faithful modern interpretation of those original proportions.

Abdul Mateen is no stranger to watch scrutiny. The Oxford-educated prince and military officer has become one of Southeast Asia's most-followed royals on social media, and his watch choices — typically leaning toward classic Swiss dress watches and tool watches — are catalogued closely by enthusiasts. Choosing the Reverso Tribute for a national ceremony signals a preference for heritage over horological ostentation, which, given the depth of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso ref. 3978480's history, reads as a confident and informed choice.

At a list price of approximately $8,750 USD, the Reverso Tribute Small Seconds ref. 3978480 trades at a slight discount on the grey market, remaining accessible relative to comparable dress watches from Patek Philippe or Vacheron Constantin. For collectors, the Reverso's combination of genuine mechanical history, in-house manufacture, and architectural distinctiveness keeps demand stable.