Congratulations! Ikepod is back in Japan!

The original stylish luxury watch

　Ikepod was once almost the only fashionable luxury watch available. Even among watch enthusiasts, owning an Ikepod was considered to be a design-conscious person. Founded in 1994 by German businessman Oliver Eick, in collaboration with designer Marc Newson.

　Marc Newson rose to fame thanks to his involvement with the Apple Watch, but in fact, much of the Apple Watch's design was inspired by Ikepod. Despite its cutting-edge design, Ikepod went bankrupt in 2006 and the company itself went dormant. Although it resurrected in 08, it was not a commercial success, as it only offered 18K gold and platinum cases and was sold only at luxury watch stores. Ikepod ceased operations in 12, and Newson left the company.

The designer of the new Ikepod is Emmanuel Guillet

　However, two businessmen have revived the Ikepod. The designer is not Marc Newson, but if you're a watch lover, you might be better off with a new designer. His name is Emmanuel Guillet, the renowned designer behind the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore and Rolex Cellini. His style of skillfully translating the original style is certainly a good fit for the new Ikepod.

　Speaking to webChronos, Emmanuel Guillet explained: "I think the redesign of this iconic watch turned out well. I'm a big fan of the brand and it was exciting to bring the watch back to life."

Low prices

　But the Ikepod has another distinctive feature: its modest price, which is unimaginable compared to the previous model. The previous Ikepod was mechanical and produced in small quantities, so it was by no means a cheap watch. While it is true that it became a design icon, it was too expensive for the average person to buy.

　In contrast, the first model of the new Ikepod is entirely quartz. By not insisting on Swiss-made (assembly is in Hong Kong), the price has been significantly reduced. In fact, the Ikepod's official website states, "Same design, modest price." I first saw the product at Baselworld, and despite being a prototype, it was not badly made. Furthermore, the recently imported production version is of even better quality. The cheapest model is under 8 yen, but the quality is so good you wouldn't even notice the price, which is one of the major attractions of the new Ikepod.

　"Bringing the brand into the new century and developing Ikepod 3.0 was a big challenge," says Guye. "That meant keeping the price down while still giving it a compelling design."

Will this be the eye of the storm in the under-10 yen watch market?

　I would like to point out another merit of the new Ikepod. Normally, when a watch is equipped with a quartz movement and thick hands, the movement of the hands is inevitably stiff. However, as far as I could tell, the movement of the hands was very smooth. Emmanuel Guillet, who designed the watch, is an accomplished designer. Naturally, he must have taken the motor torque into consideration when redesigning the watch.

　With its great design and great price, the new Ikepod could become the center of attention in the under 100,000 yen range. If you're interested, don't just check it out online, but check it out in person. An interview with Christian-Louis Coll, who revived the brand, will be featured in Chronos Japan Issue No. 85 (on sale October 3rd).