Small 'POD' wristwatch, designed by Marc Newson, circa 1987

A watch was one of the first things acclaimed international designer Marc Newson (b. 1963) tried to make as a child, intrigued by the technical intricacy that was concealed within such small objects. Not long after graduating from Sydney College of Arts in 1984 he designed the celebrated Large POD watch and in 1987 followed up with its smaller sibling, the Small POD watch, made from stainless steel not aluminium, with watch hands and a quartz movement, designed to be more in keeping with conventional wristwatches whilst maintaining the smooth, streamlined aesthetic that would flow through to his later Ikepod watches and, in 2014, to his involvement in the design of the Apple Watch. The present lot was loaned by the vendor to the Powerhouse Museum (part of Sydney Museum of Applied Arts and Science) for inclusion in their landmark retrospective exhibition Marc Newson - Design Works held from August 2001 to February 2002.