ReviewThe Eclectic Megapod Range Of Watches By Ikepod

Ikepod pioneered the trend of small-scale watchmaking and timepieces with futuristic designs, resembling mini ‘flying saucers’. Made from brushed stainless steel, some of their minimalisic watches can qualify as ‘pilot’ watches as their dials showcase scales used by pilots for on-the-fly calculations. One of the Ikepod’s important  lines of watches is the Megapod. This time-and-date watch with chronometer-rated automatic movement, bears Ikepod signatures such as the UFO-esque case, smooth river pebble-like body, lugless design, rubber strap, signature buckle, and white and orange accents. Moreover, Megapod is the first Ikepod mechanical watch and also the largest: its oversized 46mm case surpasses the 44mm Chronopod and Duopod.

Megapod And Its Origin Story

Ikepod was co-founded by designers Marc Newson and Oliver Ike in 1994. While the original brand shut shop in 2012, it was relaunched in 2017 by the new owner Christian-Louis Col from Hong Kong. In 2018, the brand revived two iconic watches, namely the Duopod and the Chronopod, as quartz versions. Megapod was their third launch in 2020; an updated version of the original iconic Megapode watch. Megapode (spelt with an ‘e’) was designed by Newson. To design Megapod (without an ‘e’), Alexandre Peraldi, the ex-Richemont employee, who had served as artistic director at Baume & Mercier, was roped in, who developed the M 000, M 100 and M 200 series. There are 11 dial designs at present, plus an ‘Ikepod X Tom Christopher’ version.

The M 100 such as the pictured Megapod M101 Rob features engraved hour markers devoid of colour on the flange

It is possible to figure the right time on the Megapod M102 Quazar due to its contrasting orange outlined white hands on the minimalist dark grey dial

Ikepod Megapod Shop The Collection

How To Spot A Megapod

The Megapod fulfils the Ikepod design trajectory: minimalist, textured, sombre hues and modernist fonts. This line consists of four dial styles. The M 000 displays, contrasting white Arabic five-minute markers on the flange, while M 100 features engraved hour markers devoid of colour on the flange. On the other hand, the M 200 displays both hour and minutes on the dial. Lastly, the M 300 features Arabic hour markers with their heads hidden. Megapod variants are encased within 316L steel cases, available with blue, silver, grey, white, or black dials with radial-brushed, circular, satin and grained finishing, or matt textures. A floating logo under 12 o’clock and luminous hands for the minute, hour and (in some versions) seconds hands occupy the central dial. Unlike the quartz-operated Duopod and Chronopod, the Megapod uses the automatic mechanical Miyota 9039 calibre produced by the Japanese movement makers owned by the Citizen Group. The 26mm movement with a thickness of 3.9mm, is fitted with 24 jewels, operates the hours, minutes, and seconds elements, beats at 28,800vph and offers 42 hour of power reserve.

Protective sapphire crystal over the dial, a removable caseback for movement access and non-screw push-pull crown are features that contribute to the watch’s overall 50m water resistance. Given the lug-less design, with the strap is directly attached to the case, the overall lug-to-lug measurement makes the watch appear 42 to 43mm on your wrist. All Ikepod watches feature jet black silicone straps with steel Ardillion buckles, redolent to the 2000s’ versions.

Collaborative Artistic Editions Of The Megapod

Ikepod has created collaborative timepieces with artists Jeff Koons in 2009 and KAWS in 2012 since its comeback over 25 years. For Megapod, the brand partnered with Emmanuel Gueit for his iconic ‘Dot’ design and expressionist painter Tom Christopher for his chaotic impressions of New York City. Popular Gueit Ikepod dials are named Megapod M303 Gold Dots and Megapod M301 Klara, and have perforated dials, making for a grid pattern of etched dots.

For Megapod, the brand partnered with Emmanuel Gueit for his iconic ‘Dot’ design. Pictured here is the Megapod M301 Klara

Popular Gueit Ikepod dials such as the Megapod M303 Gold Dots have perforated dials, making for a grid pattern of etched dots

Ikepod Megapod Shop The Collection

Megapod MTC1 Skaters in the Sky

In addition to three Duopod dials, Christopher has designed the 200-piece limited edition Megapod MTC1 Skaters in the Sky. For someone besotted with the NYC vibe, Christopher lent his painting for the dial imagery of swallows, skaters and skyscrapers depicting the New York City skyline, springing from the case edge. The city depicted in patchwork of coloured blocks creates a bright, vivid tapestry, complementing the white, two-hand display, outlined with black.

For MTC1 Skaters in the Sky, Tom Christopher lent his painting for the dial imagery of swallows, skaters and skyscrapers depicting the New York skyline, springing from the case edge

Megapod Hour Glass

As Ikepod turns 30 this year, one leg of the festivities is the introduction of a special limited-run 100-piece Megapod Hour Glass edition, and discontinue its existing Megapod range at the start of 2025. The Hour Glass version carries forward all features of the ‘farewell’ Ikepod Megapod—lugless UFO-shaped brushed stainless steel 46mm case, water-resistant upto to 50m, black silicone strap secured with a pin buckle, and automatic Miyota 9039 movement. The only exception then, is the hourglass shape of the central seconds hand in prominent bright orange hue. Meanwhile, the hour and minute hands have been slightly enlarged and with orange outline and applied Super-LumiNova. Located at three o’clock, the push/pull crown with fluted edge is embedded with the brand’s erstwhile logo, a hemipode bird.

Ikepod Megapod Hour Glass Shop The Collection

Created by the designer long associated with the brand, Alexandre Peraldi, these 100 Ikepod Hour Glass watches fall under seven categories, with different names and dial hues: Dieter (blue dial with minute scale), Gae (black dial with minute scale), Joe (white dial with both minute and partial hour scale), Matti (silver dial with hour scale), Quazar (black dial with hour scale), Rob (grained grey dial with hour scale), and Walter (white dial with minute scale).