Horological Meandering

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[Purist]
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PuristSPro.com IKEPOD CEO Mr. Alexandre David INTERVIEW

AD:  *pointing to an Ikepod Hourglass*   So here we are, the stainless steel precision caliber nanoballs imported from India to Switzerland,  then sent to Germany for plating, and returned to Switzerland for assembling.  The glass itself is made near Basel, Switzerland and requires several days to complete just one Hourglass.   As a matter of fact we can only produce 3-4 large Hourglass per month, 6-7 small Hourglass ones per month.

PPro:  Why stainless steel? Why a particular material over another?

AD:  First we needed a consistent material that could be nickel plated. So when we started the project we tried different technical materials . but it didn’t work or wasn’t good enough.  Also Because we had to face a lot of challenges along  the way, including, electrostatic charges, we had a huge magnetic fields created within the transport of the tubes  before we sealed the nanoballs inside the glass.  So we ended up utilizing stainless steel. 

PPro: Are they hand blown glass?

AD:  Yes, hand blown glass.  It starts off as a Borate Silicate tube, It’s a derivative of Pyrex.  And it’s a special type of glass that can with stand temperatures of 1000 degrees.  * Points to a video clip on ipad2* 

Our manufacturing process video is shot by a friend of mine by the name of Philip Andelman who is a famous music video director. Mr. Andelman has collaborated in the past with artist like Lenny Kravitz,  Jayz, and Beyonce and was kind enough to fly to Basel with me and create this video.  

you can see during testing it is over 1000 degrees.  *points to a pic on ipad2*   this gentleman is Mr. Rader who is probably one of  the most experience skilled glass blowers in the world.   He’s the only one within the factory to produce the Hourglass.  * smiling* If you break his legs, forget about it, production stops *laughs from everyone in the room* .  If he doesn’t feel good, production stops.  So for the last 2 years, even with all the extensive training and experienced glass blowers, it’s so complicated we cannot produce more than 3-4 large and 6-7 small per month.    Completely handmade, the skilled glass blower shapes and works the tube, once he is done in a few hours we put the Hourglass into cooler to cool it down at 575 degrees celcius for an entire night to fix the form.

For the following day, in my opinion, one of the most spectacular part of the process is when they cut the extremity of the tube, it’s incredible!  As it looks like water.  So once the shape is completed, there is still a hole which is yet to be filled.   Next step will consist of the engraving with Marc Newson's signature and the Ikepod logo, but only on one side.  Then we fill the hourglass with a million nanoballs.  Actually it’s 1.2 million stainless steel nanoballs in the small Hourglass and up to 8 million in the large Hourglass.  If you think about it, Ikepod has produced the most complicated timepiece ever in terms of parts.  Because it is handmade, none of the  two Hourglass bubbles are symmetrical, we need to adjust the time accordingly.  Once we are done,  we close it with silicone, dry it, inspect it carefully and ship it out to the client. 

PPro: Since it’s handmade, what are the manufacturing tolerances?

AD: Yes, in terms of measurement, it is quite accurate.  We have two: the large which is 30cm high and 25 cm wide.  The small which is half the size, 15cm high x 12.5cm wide.  In terms of time, the large is 60min and the small is 10 minutes.  Believe it or not the hourglass has become one of our most  iconic product for Ikepod.  This is what defines Ikepod presently and I think that I find in many ways that you  can look at it as a clock, an ancient clock, being used to measure time before wheels, spring, and barrels or you can look at is a sculpture designed by one of the most famous designers of his generation, Marc Newson or a creative object.  So it’s quite interesting where it combines art, design, craftsmanship, and engineering.  For us this project has been a successful project  and very special for us.

The large hourglass was first  released  in Basel 2010 and for Ikepod it was a breakthrough because when you go to Baselworld, you browse hundreds if not thousands of different watches….big, small, simple, complicated, with or without stones.  The truth is if you are looking for an hourglass, you end up with Ikepod. 

PPro:  And what of  the accuracy?

AD:  The Hourglass is pretty accurate, with that being said, we give it a tolerance of 2-10% .  For the watch aficionado, it may not sound accurate, so let’s discuss and understand why.  The nanoballs are made out of stainless steel and typically due to the environment, for example the light.  If it is near a window  with light instead of a neutral environment , the temperature is going to be higher there.  Typically the stainless steel nanoballs will delay about 7 beads so less going trough from one bulb to the other. So the timing will change from one environment to the other.  So usually we are more like +- 2% but due to examples just given we give it a broader  tolerance.  With that being said, in all the meetings I’ve had around the world since the launch , the hourglass is more about time passing by.. you can actually see time passing by.  And when I at some point in the meetings, I when I flip the hourglass we all end up staring at it.  It’s a very mesmerizing process!

PPRo:  Now when the hourglass is displayed, is there any problems with UV degradation from a natural or illuminated light source exposure?

AD: No, we have went through the testing when we did in QC andp reproduction testing so it won’t be a problem. 

PPro: Humidity?  Will that change anything ?

AD: The stainless steel nanoballs is plated with nickel and demagnetized and sealed once inside and calibrated within the hourglass so we don’t face this issue.

PPro: I have to ask....Is it very fragile?  How thick is the glass?  Have you done drop tests?

AD: Borate Silicate It’s rather thick, 3mm thick so it’s not a fragile object of course we don’t want to throw it in the air and expect it not to break.  But in normal use it’s quite a solid object. 

PPro:  So how did the ONLY watch Hourglass project begin?

AD:  So with ONLY Watch, it was quite a natural collaboration.  When they approached us, we thought for sure we were going to do it and we do our best to come out with an exciting product.  So for the first time is what you are looking at now (points to RED Ikepod ONLY Hourglass) we have managed to collaborate the color red into the silicate glass.  Because it doesn’t come in any color it was quite the challenge.  Believe or not, the color process is achieved with painting!  The challenge we had to face was to get a color that was uniform and due to all the angles and roundness of the Hourglass,  it was quite complicated.  We build the  hourglass from A-Z and then have the color applied.

PPro: Is there a clear coat over it, like on a car…it has primer, paint, then a protective clear coat on it…..

AD:  That’s a very good comparison, the coating we use is similar to the automotive process.  And if I didn’t tell you that this process, it would be almost impossible that you would think that it’s painted!

PPro:  Yes!  It’s very cool.  Usually with paint you get opacity and with this it is very lucent as if it was in the glass itself.  Optically The light transmit through the glass very well.

AD:  Exactly!  So the ONLY watch Hourglass is a very beautiful project.  Its not often that brands, journalist, retailers, and auction house gets together for a very noble cause.  There are around 47 participants this year and Ikepod is the only one to come out with something that is not a watch yet still tells time!  And we are very excited as it’s a sculpture as well as a timepiece.   Many brand just relie on the only watch organization to promote the auction.  But a few of us thinks we should go to the extreme since it for a charity so it’s a great opportunity to give the most to the children.    I know max is touring with his piece so it’s good to see the smaller brands promoting the charity more than the bigger brands for a great cause.

PPro:  And what about the presentation case?  I notice that it appears to be well done!

AD: With us being a responsible company, the Hourglass comes in a specially designed case, made of entirely recyclable products....very light yet crush resistant.  Shipping was also a concern as the case had to be very protective yet light weight for environmental concerns.

PPro:  What’s next for the IKEPOD Hourglass?  Any hints for future projects?

AD:  Very soon we introduce a special limited edition for Westime. John Simonian has asked us to produce a large hourglass with copper plated nanoballs.  We have shipped in the first piece a month ago and sold immediately to a collector we did 18 pieces just for Westime.  When the store opens on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood in December they will have the pieces available.

One thing I wanted to add, as a smaller brand we needed to think outside the box.  And we did something very special with the release of the smaller hourglass this year.  At the launch at basel 2011 we shipped the smaller hourglass to the retailers a week before Baselworld.  So the 2011 novelties were available for the collectors immediately!

I can tell you our short term plans… I mean 6 months to a year…  in the 2^nd half of the 2011 we see a rebuild of our collections, moving forward from our gold and platinum pieces, we go to titanium.  By the end of the year we launch with a major  contemporary artist. You may remember  that last year we launched with renowned artist Jeff koontz, that was quite a big statement for a small brand like Ikepod.  I can’t tell you who the artist is but you will plenty surprised.  What we are also doing is that the product will it will be ready the minute it is announced.  When we show something new to the press, it will be immediately  available to the public. 

The idea is simple.  We are all watch lovers.  Ive been collecting watches for over 20 years now and the thing I hate most about the industry is that when I am browsing through a magazine  or online finding something I like and head to the store and then beiong told I cannot buy it as it’s not ready yet.  So I’m like what’s the point?  Why announce it and you aren’t ready to release it?  So just release it and everyone’s happy. 

PPro : What’s the current focus and goals of Ikepod now? Is there a new idea or a continuation?  What are you planning to do?

AD: Ikepod was started in the 90’s by a gentleman named Oliver Ike and Marc Newson .  if you think about it back then  it was a bigger break through as it didn’t look like anything else in the market.  In many ways, when Marc designed the Megapode and Hemipode back then it was considered quite a large watch in the 90’s compared to the rest of the industry.  so it was kind of a push to the trend to a bigger watches.  Mr. Adelman , a American art collector, was at a gallery  in Paris looking at a Marc Newson chair.  The owner of the gallery was wearing a ikepod and said hey that’s a cool watch where can I get one?  The following week, he sent his lawyer to Switzerland and bought the company.  Ikepod Is about contemporary watchmaking.  We are trying to design watches of today. 

It’s interesting how designers have been a very strong component of watchmaking for many many years.  If you think about it, the man how started it all was Gerald Genta.  Those are core design pieces!  And most people design watch only design watches their own life.  Marc Newson has been designing things from  jet planes to furniture to phones to shoes and watches.  Literally For the last 2 decade he has been applying his skills to many industries with much success.  So the way Marc looks at watches is very different from a regular designer.  For example the Megapode, at first it may look like a regular watch but if you examine the strap *see photos below* , it’s not a regular buckle, it’s not a deployant.  It’s something unique.  Another example is the dial.  There is no branding on the dial.  Because Marc didn’t want the lecture of time to be disturbed by any kind of branding or logo.  Therefore the Ikepod logo is slightly engraved on the crystal. 

PPro:  What’s the ideal Ikepod client? Why Ikepod versus other brands?

AD:  Ikepod is perceived by many watch aficionados as a design brand.  As a a matter of fact we ARE a design brand.  And its quite interesting as the last decade, the market is incredibly design driven.  Even in the movement  there are design brands.     Probably the brand that did started it all was Ikepod back in the 90’s when Marc Newson designed his first watch.  The company went thru up and downs and was bought back eventual in 2006.  Adam Lindemann is from NY  and is a famous fine art collector.

I would say the Ikepod end user is someone who is rather sophisticated, interested in watches, but also in art, design, and architecture.  It’s not his/her first watch.  He/she has already went to all the watch collecting habits and is looking for something different.  And Ikepod is something very different.  Somehow, and Im not saying it as negative way but the watch has become a status symbol, right?  tell me what you wear and I will tell you who you are.  There is nothing wrong about it.  When someone who goes for a brand  like ikepod, he/she’s looking for something unique than  going for recognition.  That’s the difference.  That person is someone who is very at ease with who he/she is and what they want to tell people.

PPro: tell me about warranties and repairs, servicing?

AD:  We have a very strong distribution network, working with some of the best in the world, like Westime.  Which is an exclusive retailer with Ikepod in the U.S. So ANY Ikepod watches within the U.S. can be returned there and we will take care of it.

PPro: So how has the industry changed in the past few years?

AD:  I would say it is very exciting period for horology particularly for communication..  I rember many years ago when there wasn’t any websites,  we would end up buying magazines and be looking at the past.  And now a brand like Ikepod can release information for the collectors immediately.  and thanks to websites like ThePurists and PuristSPro, the brands  can now literally interact with the collectors and see what they have in mind.  I think it makes the whole industry much more exciting than it used to be.  Even for myself, When I looking for info these days I don’t even bother reading magazines anymore.  I go online and there are very good site like Purists and PuristSPro so I can find great info on the spot.

PPro:  Anything else that you can tell us?

AD:  So Ikepod is about details, it’s a niche brand. We produce 300 watches a year, that's very little.  Again it’s about contemporary watchmaking.  Design is not a easy sell when it comes to watches, specially design by itself.  If you look at small independent brands that are doing well with design, I'm thinking of MB&F, Urwerk, and Dewitt.  They all have that extra value with watch aficionados perceptions.  For us, the hourglass is a very important project because when you look at it there’s a lot more than just design.  Take for example our Solaris watch.  It looks like a basic watch but if you look carefully, it’s the first time that a watch is fully reversible, I don’t mean just the case, it’s also the braclet and the clasp.  It may look simple but you see there’s more to it and it’s not easy to do.

So Ikepod: Independent brand....Small production.....Watches......But also time related object designed by one of greatest designers of his time, Marc Newson.

PPro:  Thank you for the time to show us the Ikepod ONLY watch Hourglass.  All the best and hope you raise a lot for the charity!

AD:   It was my pleasure!