[Japanese fluent] Ansel Elgort's watch ~Actor's Watch #210~

Jake Edelstein became the first foreign journalist to work for a Japanese newspaper in the 1990s and continued to cover gangs and loan shark organizations for 12 years. The role of Jake in the Netflix drama series "TOKYO VICE" (2022-2024), which is a film adaptation of his memoir, was played by Ansel Elgort, a young Hollywood star who played the lead role of Tony in S. Spielberg's "West Side Story," and became a hot topic for his fluent Japanese acting.

To play the role of Jake, he imposed on himself four hours of Japanese study every day, and his Japanese improved to the point that he could not only film the drama but also answer questions in interviews. When he appeared on George Tokoro's TV show "Waratte Koraete", he traveled around Aomori on the show's signature "Darts Journey" and interacted with the locals in Japanese, surprising fans.

"Actor's Watch" focuses on the watches worn by actors active in the movies and on TV. In this, our 210th installment, we will be introducing the watches worn by Ansel Elgort.

Timex

Weekender Central Park [Ref.T2N654]

First, let's start with the watch he wore in the film "TOKYO VICE." Jake is an American who graduated from a Japanese university and became a rookie reporter for the major newspaper company "Meicho Shinbun." The watch worn by Ansel Elgort, who played him, in the film was the Timex Weekender Central Park (Ref. T2N654).

Timex is a popular brand among high school and college students in the United States, partly because of its reasonable price. It's the perfect watch for a fresh American journalist who just graduated from college.

By the way, in this film, Tomohisa Yamashita, who played the charismatic host Akira, wears a Piaget watch, and Masaru Kasamatsu, who played the young boss of a yakuza gang, Sato, wears a Panerai watch. The contrast between the wealthy underworld members and the rookie reporter who has just entered society is expressed by the watches each character wears.

Cartier

Tank Mast XL [Ref.WSTA0040]

In June 2017, Ansel Elgort left his hotel in London to head to the premiere event for his starring movie "Baby Driver." He was dressed casually in a white T-shirt and a day bag, and the watch he was wearing at the time was thought to be a Cartier Tank Must XL (Ref. WSTA0040).

This watch seems a little too elegant for this look, but Ansel appeared at the premiere event afterwards in a chic black suit. Unfortunately, there were no photos showing his wrist, so it's unclear whether he was wearing this watch, but perhaps the Tank was chosen to match the chic outfit at the event.

IWC

Portuguese Chronograph [Ref.IW371482]

At the 90th Academy Awards in 2018, Ansel Elgort was invited to the ceremony after his starring role in Baby Driver was nominated for Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Film Editing. Although he sadly missed out on an award, he appeared on stage with his co-star in the film, Eiza Gonzalez, to present the award for Best Sound Editing.

The watch he paired with his black tuxedo was an IWC Portuguese Chronograph (Ref. IW371482). There seems to be mixed opinions about matching a watch with a tuxedo, but the chic black and red gold coordination may have reflected the sensibility of a man whose father is a fashion photographer.

summary

What did you think?

Ansel Elgort once said in an interview that he travels by subway in New York, revealing his down-to-earth side in his private life. This lineup is down-to-earth and not flashy, just like him.

Baby (Ansel Elgort), a young man who displays genius driving techniques when listening to music. Baby Driver is a car action movie in which he steals the car of an underworld boss, exposes his weakness, and becomes a getaway driver and courier for a criminal organization. With a number of classic songs from the past, such as "Bell Bottoms" by Jon Spencer Blues Explosion (JSBX), the movie features car chases synchronized with the music, and many movie fans are eagerly awaiting a sequel.

In 2021, it was revealed that the film's director, Edgar Wright, was writing the script for Baby Driver 2, and at the event Tokyo Comic Con held in 2024, Ansel Elgort said that he would like to play Baby again if Baby Driver 2 were to be made.

To this day, I am listening to the soundtrack of "Baby Driver," with "The Sea, the Love" by Yuzo Kayama, of whom he says he is a big fan, playing in the background, and dreaming of "Baby Driver 2," in which Baby is at the wheel and racing down the highway in a Subaru Impreza WRX.

See you later!