Watch Paparazzi

Footballer David Beckham spotted wearing Rolex

Spotted at what appears to be an NBA game, David Beckham was seen wearing a striking all-black custom Rolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea — a watch that manages to look simultaneously understated and deeply intentional. The 44 mm case, bracelet, and even the crown guard have all been treated with a uniform dark coating, rendering the watch virtually invisible against his sleeve until the light catches it just right.

The base reference is almost certainly the Rolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea 116660, produced from 2008 to 2018 and representing Rolex's most extreme production dive watch. The 116660 houses the calibre 3135 automatic movement — a 28,800 vph workhorse with Rolex's Parachrom hairspring and approximately 48 hours of power reserve. Its Ringlock System, comprising a nitrogen-alloyed steel compression ring and a helium escape valve, allows the watch to withstand pressures equivalent to a depth of 3,900 metres. The sapphire crystal alone is 5.5 mm thick. This is engineering, not ornament.

The custom treatment seen here — consistent with work from specialists such as Bamford Watch Department, Pro Hunter, or similar DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) coaters — strips the watch of its conventional Rolex identity and repositions it as a personal object. PVD and DLC finishes add a micro-thin ceramic-like hardness to the surface, offering scratch resistance alongside the aesthetic transformation. Rolex does not endorse these modifications, and they technically void the manufacturer's warranty, which makes them a deliberate statement of ownership over the piece.

Beckham has long cultivated a serious watch collection that spans Rolex, Audemars Piguet, and Patek Philippe. His taste consistently skews toward bold configurations — blacked-out cases, large diameters, and sporting references — making the Sea-Dweller Deepsea a natural fit. The 44 mm case wears proportionally well on his wrist and the all-black execution aligns with his recurring preference for monochromatic styling.

On the secondary market, an unmodified Rolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea 116660 trades comfortably above retail, typically between $14,000 and $17,000 depending on condition and box-papers status. A professionally executed full DLC conversion from a reputable modifier can add $2,000–$5,000 to that figure, though it simultaneously limits the audience of potential future buyers — a trade-off Beckham appears entirely unbothered by.