Swedish architects Claesson Koivisto Rune intertwine romantic references in their rethinking of a classic chronograph for Swiss watch brand Ikepod. The new limited edition aeronautical chronograph, Skypod, is a reinterpretation of the original 1999 Megapode piece, originally designed for Ikepod by Marc Newson.
The new piece stays faithful to the watch’s distinctive case shape, but takes its most technical form yet. A circular slide makes possible complicated calculations, such as computing fuel consumption for an aircraft or navigating range and distance for a pilot.
‘Owning old Ikepods ourselves, it felt very important to respect the original design and the features that made it so great,’ says co-founder of Claesson Koivisto Rune, Eero Koivisto. ‘So we set out to do a more contemporary take on the classic Ikepod Megapode. Two years of intense work together with Ikepod owner Christian-Louis Col has resulted in this watch design.’
Ikepod Skypod with Claesson Koivisto Rune
The new starry sky design was inspired by the way the sketches of the dial looked when they were put up on the studio wall, which also prompted the name. ‘All the dial markers are dots, creating a uniform look in the dial,’ Koivisto adds. ‘Every single dot has a function. The “outer” dots of the subdials have been eliminated to create a visual balance in the dial. But always so that the readability is clear.’
Readability underlines the aesthetics throughout, encapsulated in everything from the rounded forms of the font to the elongated shape of the hands and newly round date window.
‘We wanted to redesign and modernise an iconic timepiece without losing the original identity of the brand,’ Koivisto says. ‘It’s a serious attempt to bring the traditional – and sometimes difficult to read – aeronautical chronograph into the present.’
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