Watch Paparazzi

Footballer David Beckham spotted wearing Tudor

David Beckham was recently photographed wearing a Tudor Black Bay Chrono S&G on what appears to be a casual rat strap, a NATO-style minimalist nylon strap favoured by watch enthusiasts who prefer their timepieces to breathe. The pairing strips away any pretension and lets the watch speak for itself — which, in the case of the ref. 79363N, is considerable.

The Tudor Black Bay Chrono S&G reference 79363N was introduced in 2021 and represents Tudor's most refined take on its modern chronograph line. The 41mm steel case is dressed with yellow gold applied hour markers, crown, and pushers — a deliberate aesthetic nod to vintage sport watches of the 1970s. Powering the piece is Tudor's proprietary MT5813 movement, a COSC-certified column-wheel flyback chronograph calibre developed in collaboration with Breitling and sharing its architecture with the Breitling B01. It runs at 28,800 vph with a silicon hairspring and delivers a 70-hour power reserve — genuinely impressive specifications at this price tier.

Among collectors, the Black Bay Chrono S&G occupies an interesting position. It offers genuine manufacture credibility and a historically resonant aesthetic without demanding the grey-market premiums of its Rolex Daytona counterparts. The S&G designation places it above the all-steel Black Bay Chrono in desirability terms, and the reference 79363N — offered on bracelet, leather, and fabric straps — has maintained strong secondary market interest since launch. Wearing it on a rat strap, as Beckham does here, is a move that resonates with the watch community: it signals ownership comfort rather than showboating.

Beckham's watch taste has always leaned toward understated quality over flashy complication. He has been spotted with Rolex and Patek Philippe references over the years, but the Tudor sighting is notable precisely because it isn't a statement piece. The ref. 79363N retails in the UK at £4,250 — accessible by luxury watch standards — which arguably makes the choice more deliberate.

On the grey market, the Tudor Black Bay Chrono S&G ref. 79363N trades close to retail, occasionally dipping slightly below list price depending on configuration and strap. It remains one of the stronger value propositions in modern Swiss chronograph watchmaking.