“Takashi Sorimachi is a great artist and an elegant man with a unique personal style that perfectly mirrors the identity of Panerai’s watches” declared Panerai CEO Jean-Marc Pontroué. “His career is a testament to his talent and the commitment he pours into everything he does. His authenticity and passion are admired by everyone who knows him. Astonishingly, every Wednesday, over 7.8 million Japanese people tune in to Aibou, the TV drama he stars in. It is a great honour for us to appoint him to represent our brand in Japan.”

The collaboration between Panerai and the Japanese actor will raise awareness of the world of Panerai and its core values in Japan: “Panerai is a timeless brand with a history and identity that has always offered its enthusiasts uncompromising quality. This is the same approach I take to my career. Only authenticity and passion can deliver real emotions,” commented Takashi Sorimachi.

Born in the city of Urawa in 1973, Sorimachi rose to fame both as a singer and as a film and TV actor. He will be representing the Italian history, creativity and cutting-edge technology embodied by the Panerai brand, in a variety of projects in Japan.

Actor and singer Takashi Sorimachi was born in the city of Urawa, Saitama, on December 19th 1973. His best- known roles include the Great Teacher in the live-action adaptation of GTO (Great Teacher Onizuka) (1999), Genghis Khan in the film of the same name (2007), and Wataru Kaburagi in the TV drama series Aibou (2015- March 2019).

Sorimachi is married to actress Nanako Matsushima, his co-star in GTO (1999). Their daughters were born in 2004 and 2007. His hobby is fishing which he does to near-professional level. Takashi Sorimachi also climbed to an altitude of 6,800 metres on Mount Everest in 1999.