What kind of watch does Kai Asakura, who is currently active in RIZIN, wear?

What kind of watches do top celebrities choose? Celebrity Watch Hunting is a series of columns that showcases moments from celebrities around the world. This time, we'll be looking at the watch worn by Kai Asakura, a mixed martial artist, YouTuber, and the younger brother of Mikuru Asakura!

朝倉海

　Kai Asakura was born on October 31, 1993, in Toyohashi City, Aichi Prefecture. He is the younger brother of the popular fighter Mikuru Asakura. At his brother's invitation, Kai Asakura quit his job as a company employee to pursue martial arts. In 2014, he became the inaugural "THE OUTSIDER" 55-60kg champion, and in August 2020, he became the RIZIN bantamweight champion. At the 2020 New Year's Eve martial arts event "RIZIN.26," he faced his rival Kyoji Horiguchi for the first time in a year and four months.

　Inspired by Asakura Mikuru, he started a YouTube channel and now has over 80 subscribers. He is also known as a fashion lover, sharing his private life with others, such as the moment he received the delivery of his luxury Mercedes-AMG car and his extravagant shopping sprees for clothes. He seems to favor high-end brands such as Saint Laurent and Maison Margiela for his training wear and casual clothes.

The watch he showed at the "RIZIN.23" press conference

　The photo we're introducing today was taken in July 2020, prior to his fight against Hiromasa Ogikubo at RIZIN.23, the bantamweight championship bout. Let's take a look at the watch he was wearing at the time. It features a black dial with a third subdial and eight diamonds, and a yellow gold and stainless steel combination case. A watch with these characteristics would likely be the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona, Ref. 116503NG.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona

　The Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona was born in 1963, the same year Rolex served as the official timekeeper of the prestigious Daytona International Speedway auto race. This watch, especially the stainless steel model, has gained worldwide popularity.

　Kai Asakura wears the Ref. 116503NG, a descendant of the second-generation 116503 combination model. The 116503 is part of a series that was introduced in 2000, when the chronograph movement was switched from the Zenith El Primero to Rolex's caliber 4130. The Ref. 116503NG features a black mother-of-pearl main dial and a yellow gold crystal developed in-house for the chronograph counters. Despite its 40mm case size, the decorative details give it a strong presence. It adds just the right amount of glamour to Kai Asakura's wrist, which is popular for its looks.

　About a month after showing off this watch, Kai Asakura won the RIZIN bantamweight championship. He is also eager to take on challenges overseas in 2021. We look forward to seeing his success.