From Shohei Ohtani to Mike Trout! We'll introduce the favorite watches of players who played in the WBC, focusing on Samurai Japan!

"Celebrity Watch Hunting" is a series of columns that takes a snapshot of what kind of watches the world's celebrities are wearing. This time, we will be focusing on the favorite watches of Shohei Ohtani and other players of "Samurai Japan," who won the World Baseball Classic (WBC) for the first time in 14 years, as well as Mike Trout, who played a memorable game.

The watch worn by the Samurai Japan players who thrilled the whole of Japan at the WBC

　Samurai Japan, the Japanese national team, won the World Baseball Classic (hereinafter referred to as WBC) for the first time in 14 years since the 2009 tournament.

　This year's tournament featured a lineup of major stars from both Japan and abroad, including major league players such as Shohei Ohtani and Yu Darvish, as well as Yakult's Munetaka Murakami, who won the Triple Crown last year, Roki Sasaki, who holds the record for the fastest pitch by a Japanese player, and Lars Nootbaa, the first Japanese-American major leaguer to be selected for the Japanese national team.

　This time, we will introduce the watches worn by Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels, Taisei Makihara of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, Sosuke Genda of the Seibu Lions, and Kazuma Okamoto of the Yomiuri Giants, who hit the winning home run in the championship game, from Samurai Japan, which was said to be the strongest team in history.

Shohei Ohtani wore a Seiko Astron at his press conference when he joined the Los Angeles Angels.

　Many companies want to become sponsors of Shohei Ohtani, who is known worldwide for his talent and clean image as an athlete. Seiko has been promoting Ohtani since early on, including by creating collaboration models.

　The Seiko Astron, seen in the photo above, was first released in 2017. It features a color scheme and special inscription on the bezel that evokes the team colors of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, the team Ohtani played for at the time. While the regular version has the time zone code "TYO (Tokyo)," this model has the code "SPK (Sapporo)," the team's home base.

The Seiko Astron takes its name from the Quartz Astron, the world's first quartz watch released by Seiko in 1969. Released in 2012 as the world's first GPS solar-powered wristwatch, its greatest feature is that it receives GPS signals up to twice a day and automatically adjusts to the correct time for the current location.

　Because the watch is solar-powered, there's almost no need to change the battery. Even when traveling abroad, a GPS solar watch will instantly tell you the local time as soon as you leave the airport and are exposed to sunlight, making it a highly practical model for players like Shohei Ohtani who are active on the world stage.

　The model worn by Ohtani features Ohtani's signature on the case back. In addition, the watch is marked "Limited Edition" and has a serial number ranging from 0001/3000 to 3000/3000, and is presented in a special box.

Taisei Makihara wears a customized Apple Watch

　Next, let's take a look at the watches worn by the players when Samurai Japan held their victory press conference at the Hilton Narita on March 23, 2023, shortly after arriving in Japan. First, Taisei Makihara was wearing a customized Apple Watch.

　At a press conference, SoftBank Hawks player Taisei Makihara humbly commented, "Even though we were surrounded by great players, I didn't play in the games from the start, but it was a good experience for me to play defense (in center field) in the final moments and help the team win the championship."

　He said he was deeply troubled when he was selected as a replacement for Chicago Cubs player Seiya Suzuki, who withdrew from the tournament. He also worried about the impact that participating in the WBC would have on his own team. "I'm happy that we became world champions, but I realized I need to raise my own level even higher," he said, showing his determination to aim even higher.

　The Apple Watch is popular among athletes, but Taisei Makihara seems to have customized his watch with a case from Golden Concept, an aftermarket electronic customization service. Golden Concept is a luxury brand from Sweden that offers high-quality iPhone cases, Apple Watch cases, and accessories.

　Judging from the case shape and bezel cutout, it appears that Makihara is wearing the company's RST44 with an Apple Watch Series 6 or SE. Makihara was spotted wearing the same model at the Samurai Japan victory press conference held at the Hilton Narita, and at Narita Airport upon his arrival.

　The RST44 case, a wearable model, is made of titanium, and combined with the rubber strap, it provides an even lighter feel. The case completely covers the watch, creating a completely different appearance that makes it difficult to tell at a glance that it's an Apple Watch. The back case has a circular cutout, allowing you to charge the watch while it's attached, making it a watch case that combines aesthetics with practicality.

　Makihara, who is known as a versatile player who can play anywhere, is originally an infielder, but apparently also played catcher in his youth baseball days. Perhaps he likes the Apple Watch because it can be transformed into a different case.

Sosuke Genda wears an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph

　Genda Sosuke, a member of the Saitama Seibu Lions, suffered a serious injury during the tournament, breaking the little finger on his right hand, but still played the full game in the final as the eighth batter shortstop. He fought to the end as an indomitable iron samurai, and it is said that he also inspired the other members. "I was able to play baseball with such great members, and I'm happy that the result of becoming the world's best came along," said Genda Sosuke, whose samurai spirit moved the fans.
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　At the victory press conference held on March 23rd, when asked about a memorable moment, he said, "In the ninth inning of the final, with two outs and just one more to go to become world champions, everyone on the bench leaned forward and got fully immersed in the game. And the moment we won, the sight of everyone gathered together was memorable."

　Genda Sosuke was unable to use his pinky finger when throwing defensively, and when batting he had to cut off the pinky finger from his leather glove and expose the taped finger, which was painful to watch. However, even with the injury, he performed well, with 2 hits and 3 walks in 8 at-bats, including an RBI hit, and made a series of good defensive plays.

　The watch worn by Sosuke Genda is thought to be a combination model of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph. Judging from the three-dials vertically, it is likely the previous generation model equipped with the Caliber 3126/3840.

　Sosuke Genda's unyielding professionalism is reflected in the strength of his Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph, which combines a sturdy 43mm stainless steel and black ceramic case with an elegant, shining "Mega Tapisserie" dial.

Kazuma Okamoto wears a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner

　Kazuma Okamoto, a player for the Yomiuri Giants, is one of the members of Samurai Japan who has a laid-back personality. With a height of 185cm and a weight of 96kg, his large build could easily give off an intimidating impression, but his responses at press conferences and other events have been a hot topic on social media for eliciting laughter.

　In the quarterfinal against Italy, Okamoto Kazuma was called out while stealing a base, but at the victory press conference that day, Coach Shimizu, who was the first base coach, made a sincere public apology to Okamoto Kazuma, saying, "That was me telling a big lie...I told him it was an end run. I'm really sorry. That's why he was called out."

　The large, gentle-looking player Kazuma Okamoto wears a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner. It's no surprise that he loves the Submariner, as it's tough and reliable in every way.

　The Submariner is one of Rolex's signature models, characterized by having remained almost unchanged in appearance since its launch in 1953. It is a model that set a standard for diver's watches in watchmaking, and remains popular today as a symbol of a historical turning point.

　The black dial features simple, large hour markers in triangles, circles, and rectangles to ensure visibility underwater, making it a highly functional model that allows for instant and accurate time reading. While the model number of the model worn by Okamoto cannot be identified, the current model is equipped with the in-house Cal. 3230 movement, which was released in 2020.

　The movement features the patented Chronergy escapement, which combines high energy efficiency with reliability, and is developed by analyzing and improving the operation of the standard Swiss lever escapement found in traditional mechanical watches.

US national team player Mike Trout wears a Breitling Chronomat

　Finally, as an extra, I would like to mention the watch worn by US national team player Mike Trout.

　Mike Trout, who faced off against Shohei Ohtani in the final scene of the WBC final, is also a member of the MLB Los Angeles Angels. His watch can be seen in backstage shots from the 97th New York Baseball Writers' Dinner held at the Sheraton New York in New York City on January 25, 2020.

　The dial is not clearly visible in the photo above, but it is the official website of the Los Angeles Angels, the team he plays for.(https://thehaloway.mlblogs.com/2019-almost-valuable-player-mike-trout-937dc06d2d52)Here you can see a photo of Trout's hands clearly visible from that day.

　The model worn in this case is presumably a Breitling Chronomat, judging from the distinctive vertical chronograph and the well-balanced placement of the crown. However, the bracelet does not appear to be a Breitling one. Perhaps the wearer chose a different, more comfortable bracelet with a higher priority on comfort.

　A watch believed to be a Chronomat also appeared in a photo posted on his Instagram in 2014, showing that he has been using it for a long time. It's heartwarming to see how much he loves his niece.

　Judging from the time period in which Mike Trout wore the watch, it is highly likely that the model he is wearing is the Chronomat 2000. However, the editorial team at Chronos Japan states that "Breitling does not offer a triple-link bracelet, so we cannot be certain."

　A distinctive feature is the chronograph arrangement known as "vertical grain." It is one of Breitling's most popular Chronomat models, and even though it was only available for a short period between 2000 and 2004, there are still fans searching for it on the used market. The indices on the bezel are wide and feature a three-dimensional claw pattern.

The watches reflect each player's individuality

　The Samurai Japan players and US national team player Mike Trout have impressed baseball fans around the world with their many amazing games. It seems that all of the members introduced here have their own unique worldview.

　It can be said that the watch you choose also reflects your personality. Baseball may not be as popular a sport as soccer on a global scale, but I'm grateful that they've done their best to show us the fun and excitement that baseball has to offer.