Ikepod Duopod 'Staying Alive 005'

If some Ikepods are designed to make you look twice, the Duopod Staying Alive 005 takes the opposite approach. This is Ikepod at its most restrained: the familiar pebble-shaped case, stripped-back two-hand display, and an almost entirely monochromatic palette that lets Marc Newson’s original design language do most of the talking.

The dial is particularly good. Finished in silvery grey with a circular brushed effect, it uses simple applied baton markers and a crisp railroad-style minute track around its perimeter. The signature Ikepod hands provide just enough contrast, while the absence of a running seconds hand makes the whole thing feel unusually calm. It’s minimalism without becoming anonymous; that bulbous, lugless profile ensures that.

Like the other modern Duopods, the brushed stainless-steel case measures 42mm, yet wears considerably smaller thanks to the complete absence of traditional lugs. The integrated black silicone strap disappears neatly beneath the case, emphasizing its smooth UFO-like form, while a curved sapphire crystal continues the rounded architecture. Inside, a Japanese Miyota quartz movement keeps things deliberately simple and dependable.

This example comes with its original recycled Ikepod box and papers. Named Staying Alive, it’s an amusingly appropriate watch for the reborn Ikepod: proof that one of the most distinctive designs of the 1990s didn’t need to be reinvented. It just needed to keep on going.

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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Condition

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.

Warranty

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

International Buyers

Please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.

All of our watches include complementary insured shipping within the 50 states.

Most of our products are on hand and will ship directly from our headquarters in New York City. In some cases, watches will be shipped directly from one of our authorized partners.

We generally ship our products via FedEx, fully insured, within 5 business days of purchase. An adult signature is required for receipt of all packages for insurance purposes. Expedited shipping is available at an additional cost. We are also happy to hand deliver your purchase in Manhattan or you may pick it up at our showroom.

Returns must be sent overnight or by priority international delivery, fully insured and paid for by the customer. A restocking fee may apply. Watches must be returned in the same condition as initially shipped.

We welcome international buyers, please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.