Ikepod Horizon

In the watch world, just a few key industrial designers reign supreme. Gérald Genta, of course, is one who comes to mind immediately. Another is Marc Newson.

The Australian wunderkind has become a legend in his own time, having designed everything from award-winning furniture to glassware to shotguns. In the horological sphere, however, he is most well known for Ikepod, his envelope-pushing watch brand that helped to usher in the trend of oversized timepieces in the 1990s. 

Known for their orb-like case shape with hooded lugs, unique handsets, often plentiful complications, and large size, Ikepod watches were ahead of their time. Having begun and ceased operations several times over the past few decades, Ikepod now operates without Newson, who went on to co-design the Apple Watch. Vintage, Newson-era Ikepods, however, are hot-ticket collector items these days, beloved for their quirky designs and attention to detail.

This particular Ikepod Horizon, a Reference HHR70, dates to the mid 2000s and represented the next chapter for the brand after art collector and watch enthusiast Adam Lindemann partnered up with Newsom to acquire the entire Ikepod archive for a brand spanking new relaunch. With Newsom still at the design helm, Ikepod was primed for yet another run of high quality, contemporary watchmaking and design. 

The case features a bulbous 44mm 18K rose gold 'UFO' case with a printed logo on the domed sapphire crystal, a signed crown and an individually numbered caseback with a sapphire display aperture.

Resembling the appearance of a golf ball, the tone matching dial actually draws direct inspiration from the 'event horizon' in astrophysics, which occurs at the edge of black hole and marks the moment when gravity becomes infinite. 

Woah.

Okay, back to Earth. In hand the dial creates an optical illusion, giving a curved effect and as a result, provides an eye-catching depth and three-dimensional feel. 

Powered by self-winding ETA 2892, this piece is outfitted with the brand's signature pass through pin-clasp and rose gold hardware. Further, this piece is accompanied by its full set of factory goodies!

Quirky, idiosyncratic, and mesmerizing, it’s that rare breed of contemporary watch that invites a closer look ... from a living designer legend!

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 one-year mechanical warranty from the date of purchase.

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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.

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