Ikepod Goes Mechanical with the Megapod

A few years ago, when the Ikepod brand was relaunched, watch nerds who idolize designer Marc Newson rejoiced, even if there was some disappointment that the watches were powered by a quartz movement and Newson himself was not involved with the project. The high overall quality of the Duopod and Chronopod, the first watches released under the new Ikepod banner, relieved some of the trepidation among watch lovers who feared this might be a shallow cash grab, as did the tone struck by the new stewards of the brand, which was really one of admiration and reverence, born from a genuine desire to get these interesting designs in the hands of watch fans. Now, the reformed Ikepod is back once again with a mechanical watch that enthusiasts were clamoring for two years ago. Let’s take a look at the Megapod, their newest release.

Ikepod Megapod

• Case Material: Stainless steel
• Dial: White, black, gray, blue
• Dimensions: 46mm  
• Crystal: Sapphire     
• Water Resistance: 5 ATM
• Crown: Push/pull              
• Movement: Miyota 9039
• Strap/bracelet: Rubber strap
• Price: ~ $755
• Reference Number: n/a
• Expected Release: Begins shipping in June

The Megapod is quite simple in concept: take the iconic UFO-like shape of the Duopod, and add a mechanical movement. The case is the same as the original, measuring 46mm in diameter. It wears significantly smaller, however, because of its unique profile and lugless design. Ikepod watches, both in the original Newson led incarnation and this new iteration of the brand, have always had a futuristic, science-fiction look to them, and like any non-traditional watch design, you’ll either be drawn to this or you won’t. Now, however, many years removed from the first Newson designed watches, there’s a distinct retro charm at play here as well, as the Megapod offers an affordable entry point to the design language that may have been out of reach when these watches were new.

A total of eight dial variants will be available for the Megapod in three different families. The M 000 series is the most minimal, with a solid color as the base and small arabic numerals counting off the minutes in increments of five around an outer ring. The M 100 series takes the same approach but substitutes hour indicators. And the M 200 is the busiest of the three, with minutes along the outer ring, and hours (in a larger typeface) just inside of it. The color palette is full of neutral grays, blacks, blues, and whites, but some variants include subtle brushed patterns on the dials, or interesting textures. 

Powering the Megapod, and visible through a display case back, is the Miyota 9039 automatic movement. This is a solid, reliable movement that keeps the overall cost of the Megapod low, but still provides a sense of satisfaction to mechanical purists. 

Once again, Ikepod is using Kickstarter to fund the Megapod project, although they already have 250 watches ready to ship in June. The Kickstarter campaign launches today, and it’s expected that all watches will be shipping by November of this year. Ikepod