What kind of watch does popular actor and presenter Tanihara Shosuke wear?

What kind of watches do top celebrities choose? Celebrity Watch Hunting is a serial column that showcases a snapshot of celebrities from around the world. This time, we'll be looking at the watch worn by actor and presenter Shosuke Tanihara!

Shosuke Tanihara

　Tanihara Shosuke was born on July 8, 1972, in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. In 1992, he became an exclusive model for the fashion magazine Men's Non-no, and made his acting debut in 1995 in the film Boys Over Flowers, playing the egocentric character Domyoji Tsukasa. He hosted the TBS information variety show King's Brunch for a full 10 years, from January 2007 to January 2017, and has also hosted Asahi Broadcasting's Attack 25 since 2015. From March 29, 2021, he became the main anchor of Fuji TV's morning information show Mezamashi 8, where his smart, typically handsome, yet gentle and pleasant personality has once again brought him popularity.

　A look at his profile on his agency, Japan Music Entertainment, lists his hobbies as follows: "Cooking, watching sports, listening to music, and watches." It's the fourth point that's noteworthy. That's right, Tanihara Shosuke is known in the entertainment industry as a watch lover.

　Tanihara's collection is wide-ranging. For example, he wears a unique square vintage watch from the 40s with his kimono, a GMT model for travel, and a chunky diver's watch for diving. He seems to enjoy changing his watch to suit the situation.

　This time, we have picked out a photo taken in 2008. It was taken at the opening of a flagship store for a British fashion brand in Minami-Aoyama, Tokyo. The monochrome outfit is complemented by what appears to be an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Automatic with a silver dial.

Audemars Piguet "Royal Oak Automatic"

　Known as the original luxury sports watch, the Royal Oak is a masterpiece that broke new ground in the world of high-end stainless steel cases, and is also famous for being the watch's entire design, created by the famous Gérald Genta. It features an octagonal bezel with eight hexagonal screws, a Grand Tapisserie dial with a three-dimensional pattern, and a bracelet that is integrated into the case. The appeal of Gérald Genta's designs lies in their originality while remaining true to the orthodox. With just the right amount of "unconventional," this model, finished in silver, is elegant yet light, fitting in well with today's fashion.

　The image shown here is of the current model with a diameter of 41mm, but judging from how it fits on the wrist, the model Tanihara is wearing is probably around 37mm.
　Tanihara, who is increasingly seen wearing suits as a host, is often seen carrying small, thin round watches.

What watch did he wear when he took over as host of the new program "Mezamashi 8"?

　This is the most recent photo of Tanihara wearing the watch. It was taken during an interview at the start of "Mezamashi 8." While it's difficult to identify the watch due to the lack of clarity, we suspect it may be a Patek Philippe Ref. 5196. It's highly likely that he chose the classic Calatrava small seconds model to represent his determination to become the new face of morning news.