Watch Paparazzi

Athlete Sydney McLaughlin spotted wearing Tag Heuer

At the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon — branded Oregon22 — Sydney McLaughlin of Team USA sat on the track after running a jaw-dropping 50.68 seconds in the 400 meters hurdles, shattering her own world record. On her wrist, clearly visible even in post-race photographs, was a TAG Heuer Link Lady in black ceramic, one of the most visually cohesive watches in the Swiss brand's women's lineup.

The TAG Heuer Link Lady reference WBC1317.BA0600 is built around a 32mm full black ceramic case and integrated bracelet — a technically demanding construction given ceramic's brittleness at fine tolerances. The bezel is set with 48 brilliant-cut diamonds totaling approximately 0.77 carats, providing luminous contrast against the all-black architecture. The dial itself is black mother-of-pearl, a natural material whose subtle layering and depth catch light differently at every angle. Rose gold-toned hands and applied hour markers complete the dial, tying the piece to the warmer end of the metal spectrum without breaking the dark aesthetic. A date aperture sits at 3 o'clock. The movement is a Swiss quartz caliber — practical, accurate, and appropriate for a sports-oriented dress watch at this price tier.

The Link collection dates to 1987, designed by the late Gerald Genta's contemporary competitors at TAG Heuer as a sporty-elegant S-link bracelet watch. Over decades it evolved into a core women's offering, with the ceramic variants arriving as the brand leaned into advanced materials during the 2010s. The all-black ceramic Link Lady sits at the top of the line's visual drama — it reads as a serious piece without the ostentation of a fully gem-set dial.

McLaughlin has been a TAG Heuer ambassador since 2021, and the brand's association with her is strategically sound: she is among the most dominant active athletes in any discipline, with multiple world records. Wearing this watch on the track — not at a gala — signals that the Link Lady is built to be lived in.

At a retail price of $5,400, the TAG Heuer Link Lady WBC1317.BA0600 occupies a compelling position: genuine Swiss manufacture, diamond setting, and advanced ceramic case at a price point well below comparable offerings from Rolex or Chanel. Grey market availability keeps prices close to retail, making it one of the more fairly valued diamond-set sport watches currently on the secondary market.