David Beckham’s Diamond-Set Tudor

Beckham's Custom Black Bay Chrono

On what became one of the hottest opening days in Wimbledon history, David Beckham managed to raise the temperature even further. Not with his immaculate suit or fresh haircut, but with the timepiece on his wrist. Seated in the Royal Box alongside his mother Sandra, the newly knighted football icon was spotted sporting a one-of-a-kind, diamond-studded Tudor watch, instantly setting the internet abuzz.

This wasn’t just any luxury watch flex, it was made exclusively for Beckham’s 50th birthday, making its public debut as he enjoyed the Centre Court action. The watch in question is a fully iced out Tudor Black Bay Chrono, custom crafted and not available to the public. Encrusted with diamonds from its bezel to its bracelet and boasting a sleek black dial with contrasting white subdials, the piece gleamed like a trophy under the summer sun.

Beckham, a global brand ambassador for Tudor since 2017, has long been known for his impeccable watch taste, often spotted wearing everything from classic Tudors to off-catalogue Rolex pieces that few outside the brand’s inner circle ever see. But while he's no stranger to rare and exclusive timepieces, appearing with a fully bespoke, diamond-set Tudor marks a new milestone. It makes this courtside debut not just a personal celebration, but a notable moment in modern watch culture, where celebrity, exclusivity, and high horology intersect.

Inside the Design on the Diamond-Set Tudor

Visual Aesthetics

Beckham’s custom Tudor is a feast for the eyes, essentially being a Tudor Black Bay Chronograph reimagined as a high-jewelry showpiece. The watch preserves the Black Bay Chrono’s classic proportions but elevates it with lush gem-setting and custom dial work. Its dial is a glossy black lacquer, almost mirror-like, which contrasts sharply with the sparkle of diamonds marking each hour.

Notably, the usual busy text and technical inscriptions on the dial have been stripped away. It omits the typical red depth rating (“200m:660ft”) and the “Chronometer Officially Certified” line normally found above the date window. This minimalist approach, combined with polished round diamond indices in place of standard markers, gives the chronograph a clean yet indulgent look.

Tudor Black Bay Chrono Black dial (left) with full dial text and tachymeter bezel and David Beckham’s diamond-set Tudor (right) featuring a minimalist dial without the red depth rating or chronometer certification text.

Even the two subdial registers, a hallmark of the Black Bay Chrono design, are without its numerals, appearing as plain white subdials that let the gemstone hour markers and bold snowflake hands do the talking. The result is a striking reverse-panda dial that feels at once modern and reminiscent of vintage tool watches, albeit a wildly bejeweled version.

Gem-Setting Display

The entire watch gleams with diamonds in a way never seen before on a Tudor sports model. Most eye-catching is the bezel. Normally a Black Bay Chrono features a tachymeter scale insert, but here that utilitarian element is replaced by twin rows of round brilliant diamonds encircling the dial.

These stones are channel-set in pairs, a configuration that offers a distinctive texture and vintage charm. The sparkle doesn’t stop there: the lug surfaces are also set with diamonds, as are the center links of the bracelet’s five-link chain. Nearly every steel surface that can catch light: bezel, lugs, and bracelet center are covered in brilliant-cut diamonds.

Special Personal Touches

Adding to the exclusivity, the watch is reported to include a playful custom detail in honor of Beckham’s milestone birthday. Rumor has it that on the date wheel, the number “2” (for the 2nd of May, Beckham’s birth date) is replaced with tiny birthday candle motifs, a hidden Easter egg visible only when the date displays “2”.

Specs and Inspiration

Beyond the glitz, Beckham’s custom Tudor is still fundamentally a Black Bay Chrono 79360N at heart. The case is 41 mm in diameter and crafted from 316L stainless steel. The watch’s case is polished to a mirror finish, enhancing the diamond sparkle while maintaining a sporty yet luxurious aesthetic.

The Tudor Black Bay Chrono “Flamingo Blue” combines sporty heritage with vibrant color, featuring a brushed steel case, tachymeter bezel, and turquoise dial.

Under the hood, the timepiece runs on Tudor’s Caliber MT5813 automatic chronograph movement. This COSC-certified movement features a column-wheel and vertical clutch mechanism (developed in collaboration with Breitling) and is known for its 70-hour power reserve. In Beckham’s watch, the movement likely remains unchanged from the standard spec, meaning that despite the custom aesthetics, it delivers the same high-performance chronometry expected from any Tudor chronograph.

Craftsmanship and Comparisons

The level of gem-setting on this piece is extraordinary for Tudor. The double-row diamond bezel and stones in the curved lugs and bracelet links required masterful jewelry techniques typically reserved for the upper echelon of luxury watchmaking.

The choice of round brilliant diamonds gives the watch a more classic pavé look, while the paired setting on the bezel adds a unique texture rarely seen elsewhere. Tudor’s execution of this fully diamond-set steel chronograph marks a new chapter for the brand.

Conceptually, it’s closer to Rolex’s jeweled Datejusts or even aftermarket iced-out pieces, but the official Tudor execution and restrained branding give it the edge in legitimacy and design cohesion.

Price, Rarity, and Market Predictions

MSRP and Value

What’s the price tag for a watch like this? Officially, there isn’t one. This Tudor is not for sale, it’s a one-off gift, so no retail price was ever announced. A standard Black Bay Chrono in steel typically retails for $6,050 (as of Jul. 2025), but the extensive modifications here would push the value into another stratosphere.

Given the full pavé of diamonds across the bezel, lugs, dial markers, and bracelet center links, the material cost and skilled labor alone would likely add tens of thousands to the base model. While some custom jewelers charge upwards of $50,000 for similar work, Beckham’s Tudor carries a different kind of value. Symbolic, collectible, and effectively priceless.

Were it ever to hit the auction block, it could challenge the record for the most expensive Tudor sold. For comparison, the one-of-a-kind Black Bay One Only Watch made for charity fetched CHF 375,000 (approx. $373,000) at auction. With celebrity provenance, high-jewelry craftsmanship, and one-off exclusivity, Beckham’s Tudor could rival or exceed that figure.

Market Predictions

Though collectors can’t buy this piece, its existence could influence secondary values and future releases. Historically, any Tudor model associated with Beckham like the Pink dial Chrono (M79360N-0019) has seen an uptick in collector interest. Some speculate Tudor may release a toned-down gem-set model to meet demand generated by this reveal. If that happens, expect a frenzy among collectors.

Tudor's Previous Collaborations

Tudor’s partnership with David Beckham has been a cornerstone of the brand’s image since 2017, when he joined as the face of its global “Born to Dare” campaign. Merging rugged tool-watch heritage with modern celebrity appeal, Beckham brought a unique charisma to Tudor’s messaging, masculine yet fashion-forward, sporty yet elegant.

Over the years, he’s been seen wearing a variety of Tudor timepieces: from the Black Bay Fifty-Eight to the Pelagos FXD. But until now, all of Beckham’s Tudors have been standard or limited-production models. This fully custom diamond-encrusted Black Bay Chrono represents a new level of brand involvement.

Tudor, historically positioned as the more accessible sibling to Rolex, has increasingly flexed its creative muscles in recent years. While the brand maintains its reputation for offering value-driven tool watches, it’s also developed a quiet tradition of creating ultra-rare or one-off models for special occasions. These include:

Additionally, Tudor produced a limited edition Black Bay Chrono Dark in 2019 for the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team, one for each of the 1,181 players in the team’s history at the time. The piece sold out quickly and became a collector favorite, further cementing Tudor’s credibility with collaborative projects.

Beckham’s diamond-set Tudor now joins this elite list of special creations. More than just a celebrity endorsement, it signals Tudor’s willingness to go off-catalog and deliver truly bespoke craftsmanship for its most prominent ambassadors.

Final Thoughts

David Beckham’s custom diamond-set Tudor Black Bay Chrono is more than a glamorous accessory, it’s a cultural statement and a milestone in modern watchmaking. It marks the convergence of celebrity influence, bespoke craftsmanship, and brand evolution. At its core, it reflects a new chapter for Tudor: one where the brand is not only making great watches, but also defining moments in the lifestyle and luxury space.

Culturally, it shows how deeply integrated fine watches have become in personal expression. Beckham, now 50 and newly knighted, chose to celebrate his legacy not just with a party or headline but with a watch that only he owns. It tells a story of where he’s been and what he values: tradition, boldness, and individuality.

Commercially, the watch hints at what Tudor might explore next. Could this be a precursor to a limited line of diamond-set Black Bays? Will we see more celebrity collaborations? Whatever comes, the message is clear, Tudor can play in the highest echelons of luxury, while still keeping its adventurous spirit intact.

In the sunlit courts of Wimbledon, David Beckham didn’t just watch history unfold. He wore it on his wrist.