Watch Paparazzi

Footballer David Beckham spotted wearing Tudor

David Beckham was recently photographed wearing a vintage Tudor Submariner 'Snowflake' in steel, identified as reference 7016 — and notably confirmed as his very first Tudor acquisition. For a collector of Beckham's caliber, the choice of entry point says something deliberate about where his taste is heading.

The Tudor Submariner ref. 7016 entered production around 1969 and represents a pivotal moment in the brand's history. Tudor's parent company had long supplied Rolex-adjacent tool watches, but the 'Snowflake' — named for the uniquely faceted, geometrically distinctive hour hand and lozenge-shaped seconds hand — was the first model where Tudor asserted a visual identity of its own. The 40mm steel case houses a rhodium-finished dial, typically in matte black, with a unidirectional rotating bezel and water resistance rated to 200 metres. Movements across the ref. 7016 production run varied, with examples powered by ETA-based calibers including the 2484 and later 2783, practical and robust if not horologically exotic.

The collector significance of the ref. 7016 extends well beyond aesthetics. Tudor's long-standing relationship with the French Marine Nationale — a partnership dating to the mid-1950s — meant that military-issue Snowflake Submariners were standard equipment for French Navy divers for years. Surviving examples with confirmed Marine Nationale provenance command serious premiums and are among the most sought-after vintage Tudor references in any market condition. Even civilian ref. 7016 examples benefit from this association, lending the watch a functional, unsentimental credibility.

Beckham's broader collection leans toward vintage Rolex and understated steel sports watches, making the Tudor Submariner ref. 7016 a coherent and considered addition rather than an outlier. That he identifies it as his first Tudor suggests an evolving appreciation for the brand's independent heritage, separate from its Rolex connections.

On the current market, clean examples of the Tudor Submariner ref. 7016 'Snowflake' trade in the $3,000–$7,000 range depending on dial condition, case sharpness, and provenance. Marine Nationale-issue pieces with documentation can reach multiples of that figure. For a vintage dive watch with genuine military history and a distinctive design story, the ref. 7016 remains seriously undervalued.