What is Kataoka Ainosuke's favorite watch brand while appearing in the drama "Hanzawa Naoki"?

What kind of watches do top celebrities choose? Celebrity Watch Hunting is a serial column that takes a snapshot of celebrities from around the world. This time, we'll be introducing the favorite watch of Kabuki actor Ainosuke Kataoka, who is currently performing well in the TBS drama "Hanzawa Naoki"!

Ainosuke Kataoka

　The TBS drama "Hanzawa Naoki" has been enjoying a steady success, with average household viewership ratings exceeding 20% ​​for every episode since the start of the sequel in 2013. Among the many characters with strong personalities, Kataoka Ainosuke plays Kurosaki Shunichi, a chief inspector at the Financial Services Agency who exudes a strong presence with his "gay" slang, such as "Fight, man, man, yo!"

　Kabuki actor Ainosuke Kataoka was born in Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture in 1972. In the world of Kabuki, where succession is the norm, he came from an unusual family and has worked tirelessly to achieve his current position. He was once known as "the most popular man in the entertainment industry" due to his flamboyant history with women, but now he and his wife, Norika Fujiwara, are known as a loving couple, displaying their affectionate relationship.

　When looking at Ainosuke's blog, you can often see watches from the same brand. Although the colors and shapes are different, they all have the unique Byzantine numerals, which are Arabic numerals lettered. In fact, Ainosuke is known as one of the biggest "Franck Muller enthusiasts" in the entertainment industry. This time, we will introduce two watches from his collection.

Franck Muller "Conquistador Cortez"

　First up is the square model "Conquistador Cortez" from the collection, named after "Conquistador," which means "conqueror." The distinctive feature of this collection is that the bezel has a two-tiered structure, giving the case a sense of weight and thickness to express its strength.

　Franck Muller is a young brand, founded in 1991. However, one of the reasons it has achieved such recognition in just 30 years is due to its strategic approach to targeting a wide range of users. One example of this is the ingenious case manufacturing seen in the tonneau curved case of its signature Casablanca. When the Casablanca was released in 94, it was considered difficult to mold this shape in stainless steel. However, after meeting Vartan Sirmakes, founder of Technocase and co-founder of the brand, Franck Muller began working on mass production. Furthermore, by using a general-purpose movement, the price range was kept low, making it accessible to a wider audience. The Conquistador is also a testament to this manufacturing prowess.

Franck Muller "Long Island Crazy Hours"

　Another watch we'd like to introduce is the Long Island, equipped with the "Crazy Hours" function, which showcased Franck Muller's technical capabilities. Crazy Hours, or "crazy hours," is a watch equipped with a special gear mechanism that moves the hour hand of a normal watch by approximately 150°, or five hours, instead of the usual one, which moves to the next hour mark every hour. While the mechanism itself was an application of jumping hours and was not new, the expressive power of the "Crazy Hours" watch, which presented a completely new way of displaying time, was unparalleled. By making this watch, which is both visually fascinating and mysterious, one of Franck Muller's core models and generating a buzz, the brand succeeded in further enhancing its reputation as a reproductive watchmaker.

　On August 3, 2020, on the "Kataoka Ainosuke Official Blog," this model can be seen carving the seal.

"Franck Muller Future Form" also available

　One story about Ainosuke's love for Franck Muller is that he chose Franck Muller plates as wedding favors. Since 2014, Franck Muller has also launched "Franck Muller Future Form," which sells lifestyle items such as tableware.

　Ainosuke has captivated many people as an actor with his outstanding acting skills. His love of glamour seems to be reflected in his choice of watch.