Celebrity Watch Hunting is a serial column that showcases the private lives of celebrities active in all walks of life. This time, we focus on the Rolex watch worn by Nobu, a member of the comedy duo Chidori, who is popular with a wide range of people for his sociable personality.
Text by Yukaco Numamoto
Article published on June 2023, 10
Nobu from Chidori is also praised by Downtown's Matsumoto Hitoshi as "Yoshimoto's number one tsukkomi"
Nobu, the straight man of the comedy duo Chidori, hails from Okayama Prefecture. He and his partner Daigo were high school classmates, and their well-coordinated conversation, which occasionally incorporates the Okayama dialect, is a result of their long-standing friendship. The conversations between the two may have been one of the reasons why the Okayama dialect intonation became known nationwide.
The origins of Chidori date back to when Nobu went to meet Daigo, who was a solo comedian in Osaka. Daigo told him, "There's a thing called 'nampa' in Osaka," and invited him to karaoke with the women he picked up until the early hours of the morning. This experience shocked Nobu, making him realize, "I never knew life could be this fun," and gradually led to a strong desire to move to Osaka. In other words, if Nobu hadn't been successful in picking up women, he wouldn't have moved to Osaka, and he later said, "If Daigo hadn't been successful in picking up women, I don't think I would have become a comedian. I'm really grateful to that lady from back then."
In his private life, he is devoted to his girlfriend, whom he has been dating since high school (the aforementioned story of him coming to Osaka because he enjoyed picking up girls is a joke that Daigo makes fun of him for), and he has a lovable personality and a wide range of friends. He is particularly close with actor Takeru Sato, and they often go to Universal Studios Japan and go out to eat together, so they hang out even in their private time.
When it comes to choosing things, he seems to be the type who doesn't hesitate to spend money on things that he thinks are "just right." He apparently had an Armani tuxedo tailored to wear at the launch party for the NHK drama series "Natsuzora." Surprisingly, the only other celebrities to have had an Armani tuxedo tailored in the past are Nobu and, surprisingly, Tom Cruise. However, this appears to have been Nobu's own joke. Originally, he had few lines and few scenes in the drama series "Natsuzora." Because of this, he was hesitant to even attend the launch party, but when he was invited to come, he had suggested beforehand, "Even though I have the fewest lines, I think I'll go in an Armani suit." Despite using this as a joke, no one remembered the Armani reference, and he revealed that "it didn't work as a joke."
The watch that Nobu chose without hesitation was the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master II.
According to an Instagram post dated September 15, 2019, Nobu's favorite watch appears to be the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master II. It's a model equipped with a chronograph for regattas (a type of sailing competition). With its distinctive small seconds at 6 o'clock, sturdy, thick case, and blue monobloc Cerachrom bezel insert, it's a watch with a strong presence that can be identified even from a distance.
It seems that this watch was an impulse buy. TKO's Kinoshita recounted this story on the talk variety show "Downtown DX," saying, "While having dinner with fellow comedians, one of us suddenly said, 'I wonder what time Rolex is open until,' and we all said, 'Let's go buy one now!' We all went shopping together, and as soon as we entered the store, I immediately decided, 'I'll take this one.'" It may have been a model he had had his heart set on for a long time. For watch enthusiasts, the time when you could just say, "Let's go buy a Rolex now," and buy one, probably feels like a distant memory.
Incidentally, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master II that Nobu owns is the one that underwent a minor change to a new model in 2017. The shape of the hands has been changed from the "pencil hands" used in the previous model from 2007 to the more visible "Mercedes hands," giving it a sportier impression.
The second Rolex chronograph is the Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master II.
Automatic winding (Cal. 4161). 42 jewels. 28,800 vph. Power reserve approximately 72 hours. Stainless steel case (diameter 44mm). Water resistant to 100m.
Rolex has an image of not having many variations in its complication models, but the Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master II is equipped with a regatta chronograph function.
The Regatta Chronograph is a chronograph equipped with a countdown function developed exclusively by Rolex, demonstrating the deep ties between Rolex and the sport of sailing. To ensure accurate timing at the start of a regatta race, which determines the outcome of the race, the watch is equipped with a synchronization function that can instantly synchronize with the official countdown during measurement, and a countdown function with a mechanical memory that can be programmed from 10 minutes to 1 minute.
The movement used is the Cal. 4161, a minor change from the previous movement, the Cal. 4160. The main changes are improved maintenance thanks to improved parts and an increased flyback speed. The materials used for the components have also been changed. The balance spring uses Blue Parachrom, an alloy of niobium and zirconium, which is 10 times more shock-resistant and anti-magnetic than conventional balance springs.
Knob likes larger case sizes
The Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master II is quite large, at 44mm in diameter, but Nobu has previously been a fan of the Panerai Luminor Marina, so we suspect he prefers larger watches. The Luminor Marina he likely owned before purchasing the Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master II was 40mm in diameter, so he chose an even larger watch. It's interesting that he chose a watch that's not just sporty, but also has a refreshing design with blue accents.
He's not the type to collect a large number of watches, but rather seems to be the type to wear the ones he likes for a long time, so we may not hear any new watch purchases for a while. However, Nobu's hobby is horse racing, and we often see him on TV betting on big wins like WIN5. We look forward to seeing him buy a new watch to commemorate his victory.
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