David Beckham Talks Style and Watches at Exclusive TUDOR Event in Toronto

TUDOR Brings David Beckham to Toronto—and Reminds Us That True Icons Don’t Chase Time, They Define It.

Photos courtesy of TUDOR

Intimate, refined, and unmistakably stylish—the evening was everything you’d expect when one of the most recognizable men on the planet arrives with understated charm.

On May 21, David Beckham and TUDOR welcomed 150 handpicked guests to Toronto’s Illuminarium in the Distillery District for an intimate evening celebrating the brand’s legacy, craftsmanship, and bold new chapters.

SWAGGER was among the select few granted exclusive pre-showcase access, sitting in on a candid Q&A that offered a glimpse of Beckham only true insider access can reveal.

“I love coming to Canada,” Beckham said, smiling. “I’m not just saying that because it’s the obvious thing to say. I’ve played here a few times and have spent a lot of time over the last few years in different parts of Canada, and everyone’s always so nice.”

He continued, “I was in British Columbia a few months back snowboarding, and then I have a partner in the business that has a house in Muskoka, and it’s one of my favourite places in the world.”

As a global Tudor ambassador since 2017, Beckham made it clear the collaboration was never about chasing scale or spectacle. “It’s not about signing with the biggest and the best,” he told us. “It’s about signing with the right people, and the right people at TUDOR just happened to be both.” 

Beckham’s relationship with the Swiss watchmaker is rooted in more than prestige. “I like to have a long-term plan with businesses and partners,” he said. “And that’s exactly what TUDOR’s vision was with me, so it was an easy decision.”

An Evolution in Style and Watches

Having just celebrated a milestone birthday, age 50, Beckham’s style has gracefully evolved over the years from daring and experimental to polished and timeless. “My style has changed to be more classic than it probably would have been 20 years ago,” he explained. “I would have pushed boundaries a lot more when I was 20–25 years old, bleaching my hair every other week, and now I let my children do it. My boys, my daughter—they all push boundaries.”

He laughed while recalling one of his more controversial looks—“I suppose 30 years ago, I was wearing sarongs, and now I’m not,” he said with a sly grin. “I can’t do those crazy hairstyles anymore.”

These days, Beckham’s wardrobe starts with a watch.

“I wasn’t making much money when I got my first paycheck at Manchester United,” Beckham admitted with a smile. “But I spent it on a watch.”

That same bold confidence runs through both Beckham’s style evolution and TUDOR’s design philosophy. “TUDOR has incredible timepieces that are classic and will live forever,” he said. “But then they also have pieces with a modern twist and are not scared of doing things in a different way.” Whether embracing colour or choosing minimalist staples, Beckham’s choices are always deliberate. “I always start with the watch. It finishes the outfit,” he said. “Then everything else just molds around that.”

When asked which timepiece surprised even him, Beckham singled out the pastel-hued Miami watches. “I’d have to say the Miami watches—the pink watch and the flamingo blue,” he said. “There were only five made at first. It was kind of just an idea that we came up with, and all of a sudden, they exploded. Everyone wanted one. All the watch collectors wanted this pink watch. I think TUDOR was like, ‘Okay, we need to go to work and make some more.’”

Pelagos: The Everyday Essential

That night, Beckham sported a Black Bay 58—“I was kind of hoping it was going to be off the back of a Manchester United win,” he joked—but the watch he reaches for most is the Pelagos.

“The Pelagos. Without a doubt,” he said. “I have a navy blue Pelagos that’s absolutely stunning. It’s the one I reach for most because it goes with everything,” Beckham shared. “It’s the kind of watch you can wear to the gym, grab lunch with, or pair with a suit in the evening. No matter the occasion, it just fits seamlessly with whatever you’re wearing and whatever you’re doing.”

This ability to honour heritage while embracing innovation is what truly sets TUDOR apart. 

“Evolution is always necessary,” Beckham said. “But when you’re a brand like TUDOR, with such a rich history, you also have to stay rooted in the classics. And they do that exceptionally well.”

For Beckham, TUDOR’s motto, Born to Dare, isn’t simply a slogan—it’s a philosophy lived out in every detail, every choice, every bold move.

As guests circulated through the event, enjoying cocktails and admiring rare pieces from TUDOR’s collection, Beckham moved quietly among them without an entourage or security detail.

Because true icons don’t just follow trends—they set their own rhythm in time.