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Not since the Beatles have four individuals teamed up to create something greater than the sum of its parts. While this might be just a tad hyperbolic, the new This Is Our Time Megapod watch in a cross-collaboration between Amstersdam’s Ace Jewelers, Ikepod, Laser 3.14 (an Amsterdam based street artist), and ABC (the multi-disciplinary design studio) is something to pay attention to.
It’s not often that so many chefs find themselves in one kitchen – usually, broad collaborations only end in a Frankenstein product of sorts with each brand vying for a spotlight – but that doesn’t seem to be the case here with this particular reference. In fact, the four individual voices in this watch’s design all appear in conversation with one another instead of a shouting match to see who can be noticed first, with Marc Newson’s Ikepod design language tying everything together. Because of this, the This Is Our Time Megapod is a watch that is not only a fun release, but a great success story for other multi-party collabs to look at as inspiration.
Okay, enough mixing metaphors here – let’s talk about the watch itself.
For those familiar with Ikepod, you’ll already know the Megapod design. Coming in at a whopping 46mm, this is a big boy, but benefits from a lugless design making it a relatively easy wear despite its size. Additionally, the pared-down use of color makes it a subtle, albeit noticeable, design choice. The black dial and red lettering only enhance the retro-futuristic personality of the Megapod line, which first appeared in 1997, while also connecting it to several other Ace Jewelers limited editions which made use of similar color combinations. The watch is finished with a black silicone strap.
On the black dial are the graffitied words, “This Is Our Time,” a sort of rallying cry by the anonymous artist, Laser 3.14. For those unfamiliar with the name, one could liken his work to Banksy as a graffiti and multimedia artist whose identity has remained hidden for his entire career. Laser 3.14 then partnered with design studio ABC (apparently no one has names anymore) to create an updated, engaging version of the Megapod that’s pitch perfect in its balance between abstraction and a logical extension to the Megapod line.
The This Is Our Time Megapod runs on a Miyota 9039 Automatic movement, with approximately 42 hours of power reserve promised. The watch itself is water resistant up to 5ATM for a depth of 50 meters while the crystal is an anti-reflective coated sapphire, meaning this is a watch you don’t have to be too precious with.
The watch is now available through both Ikepod and Ace Jewelers (the fourth and final collaborator on this watch) with a retail price of 1,400 € incl. VAT or 1,157 € excl. VAT. This is an extremely limited-edition model with only 30 numbered pieces in production. Ikepod
