Ikepod Chronopod 'Alive 2018'

Ikepod has always looked as though it arrived from the future, so Alive 2018 seems an appropriately optimistic name for the watch that helped announce its return. Part of the reborn Ikepod collection, the Chronopod translates the brand’s cult 1990s design language into a more accessible chronograph, retaining that unmistakable pebble-shaped case while handing the dial-design duties to Emmanuel Gueit.

The C009 is one of the coolest, most industrial-looking versions. Its brushed silver-grey dial plays beautifully against the brushed steel case, while three contrasting white registers break up the monochromatic surface. The layout includes a chronograph minute counter, running seconds, and 24-hour indicator, joined by a circular date aperture tucked between 4 and 5 o’clock. Black baton markers and hands keep everything crisp and legible without sacrificing the slightly futuristic minimalism that makes an Ikepod an Ikepod.

The stainless-steel UFO case measures 44mm, but that figure tells only half the story. With no traditional lugs, the black silicone strap sits flush with the case, allowing it to wear more like a conventional 41mm watch. Inside is the dependable Japanese Miyota JS25 quartz chronograph movement, while 50 meters of water resistance adds some everyday practicality.

This example is accompanied by its original recycled Ikepod box and papers.

A watch called Alive has aged rather well. Clean, slightly weird, and unmistakably design-driven, the C009 captures the moment Ikepod came back from the dead without losing the visual language that made collectors care about it in the first place. Take me to your leader! 

Following his graduation from Sydney College of the Arts, budding industrial designer Marc Newson turned his recent studies in jewelry and sculpture into the the Large Pod Watch — a 60mm, aluminum-cased behemoth devoid of any extraneous ornamentation and paired to a rubber strap. A harbinger of things to come, this timepiece would form the aesthetic underpinnings of a brand Newson founded with Oliver Ike in 1994, called Ikepod.

Though the company was only a modest success in the 1990s, its watches — which presaged the ‘large watch’ trend of the late 1990s/early 2000s — would subsequently become cult classics. The Hemipode, which measures 44mm in diameter, cemented the firm as an innovator by marrying a large, monobloc case to an automatic movement that powered various compilations: a chronograph, a chronograph with GMT, and a chronograph with a large date window at 12 o’clock. Costing over $10,000 in gold, they ushered in the era of the high-end independent.

Today, Ikepod is no longer helmed by Newson and Ike — owned by Swiss investors, the new Ikepod watches are made in Hong Kong and are powered by Japanese-made quartz movements. However, strong horological clout remains, with design duties having been taken over by Emmanuel Gueit, who conceived Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Offshore. Original, Newson-era models are, of course, highly collectible; forward-thinking, envelope-pushing objects, they’re reflective of the singular genius of the award-winning Aussie designer.

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Since our pieces are vintage or pre-owned, please expect wear & patina from usage and age. Please read each item description and examine all product images.

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We back each Analog:Shift vintage timepiece with a two-year mechanical warranty from the date of purchase.

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