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Prince Abdul Mateen of Brunei’s eclectic watch collection, from a Rolex Daytona and GMT-Master II to Patek Philippe – but the billionaire newlywed royal’s favourite timepiece may surprise you …

Brunei’s Prince Abdul Mateen is fond of Rolexes – but is most often seen with his black Casio. Photo: @tmski/Instagram
What would you wear if you could get your hands on the most coveted watches in the world? For Prince Abdul Mateen of Brunei, the answer is apparently a US$300 battery-powered digital watch.
Prince Mateen of Brunei and Anisha Rosnah just got married in a lavish wedding. Photo: @tmski/Instagram
The fourth son of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei recently took his name off the list of Asia’s most eligible bachelors, marrying Anisha Rosnah in an elaborate 10-day-long celebration fit for royalty. The ceremony took place in January at the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque, and the world was immediately fascinated by the beautiful couple and their lavish celebration.

Reportedly worth US$28 billion dollars, the royal family of Brunei is one of the richest in the world – which is no surprise as they hail from the richest, albeit one of the smallest, countries in Asia.

Prince Mateen has 3.1 million followers on Instagram. Photo: @tmski/Instagram

When the 32-year-old isn’t jet-setting across the globe, competing in polo matches or feeding baby tigers, he’s performing his royal duties and visiting dignitaries around the world.

With incredible wealth comes impeccable taste and a healthy appetite for the good life – and if his lavish lifestyle isn’t enough indication of that, his watch collection certainly is. Let’s take a closer look at the prince’s wrist candy.

The trusty G-Shock

Prince Mateen is often seen wearing his black Casio G-shock. Photo: @tmski/Instagram

The Royal Brunei Air Force major often shares snippets of his life on Instagram with his three million Instagram followers. And one of his watches that gets the most playtime is a simple, unassuming black Casio G-Shock that accompanies him on official military and Air Force assignments. At US$300 on the Casio website, the Casio G-Shock GW-5000U is utilitarian chic at its finest.

However, there are plenty of other swoon-worthy timepieces in his collection.

Rolex Daytona

On the higher price range end of the spectrum, Prince Mateen is also fond of Rolexes. Photo: @tmski/Instagram
The prince owns several Rolexes and seems to have an affinity for the Daytona. It appears to be his travel watch of choice, and he is often seen wearing the iconic model.
Prince Mateen pictured wearing his Rolex and holding a baby tiger. Photo: @tmski/Instagram

He wore an iteration with a black bezel and dial at a polo tournament and a black ceramic piece with a contrasting white dial and black counters and bezel when spending some time with a baby tiger, as seen on his Instagram.

Rolex GMT-Master II

Prince Mateen is fond of his exotic animals – here he holds a baby big cat while wearing another Rolex. Photo: @tmski/Instagram
On another occasion where he paid a visit to another baby big cat, the prince wears another Rolex classic, the GMT-Master II. The watch comes in several bezel iterations – Prince Mateen’s is a black and green reference with an Oystersteel bracelet.

Patek Philippe World Time

Prince Mateen pictured wearing his Patek Philippe’s World Time 5131/1P-001, fit for a jet-setting royal like himself. Photo: @tmski/Instagram

Unsurprisingly, the worldly prince is a fan of timepieces that conveniently display multiple time zones. The Patek Philippe’s World Time 5131/1P-001 features a platinum case and bracelet. Patek Philippe creates versions of this timepiece featuring cloisonné enamel dial dials that depict different parts of the earth – a similar piece sold at a Phillips Auction sale in 2019 for US$175,000.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds

Prince Mateen posted the photo of him in a Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso last year with the caption “Happy 38th National Day [Brunei]”. Photo: @tmski/Instagram
During Brunei National Day celebrations last year, Prince Mateen paired an elegant Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso with his official uniform. It’s no surprise the avid polo player owns this iconic design from Jaeger-LeCoultre – the watch sliding design, which allows the face to be hidden and protected from pallets during polo matches, was patented in Paris in 1931. The prince’s Tribute Monoface Small Seconds rendition features the hours and minutes display, plus a small counter at the six o’clock position dedicated to keeping track of the seconds.
Royalty
  • The prince recently married Anisha Rosnah in a 10-day celebration at the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque, with guests including Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo
  • Prince Mateen’s watch collection is relatively modest by comparison – his favourite piece appears to be a black Casio G-Shock that goes for US$300, but he is also fond of Rolexes