Ikepod Seapod 'Jacques'

A dive watch named Jacques? There could only be one inspiration. The Ikepod Seapod Jacques pays tribute to legendary French freediver Jacques Mayol, whose almost spiritual relationship with the ocean helped inspire the film The Big Blue. It’s an appropriate namesake for Ikepod’s wonderfully unconventional take on the serious dive watch. Ummm, what about Jacques Cousteau? Anyway…moving on. 

Designed by Swiss designer Fabrice Gonet, the Seapod translates Ikepod’s familiar flying-saucer silhouette into something capable of actually heading beneath the waves. Its fully brushed 316L stainless-steel case measures a substantial 46mm by 17mm, yet the completely lugless construction allows it to sit more like a conventional 42mm watch. An integrated unidirectional rotating bezel maintains the smooth UFO profile, with deeply engraved dive markings and a luminous pip at 12 o’clock.

The Jacques is distinguished by the bright blue accents that seem particularly fitting given its aquatic namesake. Its black sandwich-style dial features three-dimensional blue hour dots surrounded by luminous material, while matching blue hands and a bright blue integrated silicone strap turn an otherwise monochromatic diver into something considerably more playful. Super-LumiNova on the hands and markers keeps things legible when the lights or the water get dim.

Inside is the automatic Miyota 9039, offering approximately 42 hours of power reserve. A screw-down crown and 200 meters of water resistance give the Jacques genuine dive-watch credentials to match the name.

Accompanied by its original recycled Ikepod boxes, papers, and pamphlets, the Jacques is an appealing collision of French design-world cool, Japanese mechanics, Swiss watchmaking heritage, and a little Le Grand Bleu. A dive watch that takes the diving seriously, but certainly not itself. Mais oui! 

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

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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.

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