More than just a round watch, Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet boasts an octagonal case middle as a part of its complex architecture. The complicated case has been primarily crafted from 18-carat white or pink gold, but stainless steel now brilliantly shines from a new collection.
Steel was ennobled with the same status as gold when it was used by Audemars Piguet for the armour of the luxurious sports watch, the Royal Oak, launched in 1972.
The Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet collection debuted at SIHH 2019 in Geneva and its name indeed stirred a discussion.
The 11.59 refers to the minute before the start of a new day and the CODE acronym stands for Challenge, Own, Dare and Evolve.
The evolution of the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet in 2023 is shown in three selfwinding models driven by Calibre 4302 as well as three chronographs powered by Calibre 4401 featuring a column wheel and flyback function.
The four watches housed in an entirely steel case shimmer with a blue or green dial matched by a rubber strap decorated with a textile pattern.
Steel is far less malleable than gold but Audemars Piguet was able to draw upon its machining and finishing expertise to produce the 41mm cases in this material.
In keeping with the brand’s haute horlogerie tradition, the stainless steel components alternate between polished and satin-finished surfaces, providing captivating visual contrasts.
The evolution also brings a new dial design that will become a signature style for the collection.
Based in Le Brassus since 1875, Audemars Piguet collaborated with Swiss guilloché craftsman Yann von Kaenel for a new motif. Von Kaenel meticulously created the basic stamps, which have been engraved by hand.
Moving outwards from the centre of the dial, the pattern of waves is decorated with hundreds of tiny holes that play with the light. The texture of this ripple pattern, made up of concentric circles, further enhances legibility.
On the selfwinding chronographs, the counters are lightly sandblasted, interacting with the pattern’s textured undulations.
The dial’s blue or green tones are achieved by PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition), which preserves and enhances the depth of the embossed pattern. For even the uniform shade, the colour effect further creates an illusion of a smoked dial.
The deep blue named Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50 is counterbalanced by a grey inner bezel. The selfwinding chronograph version is neatly laid out with two-tone blue and grey counters at 3 and 9 o’clock and an entirely grey small seconds sub dial at 6 o’clock.
The khaki-green variations are designed with an inner bezel in the same tone but the chronograph’s monochrome aesthetic is broken by the counters’ rhodium-plated outer zone.
Notably, the steepness of the inner bezel’s angle has been reduced to lessen the difference in height with the dial. It has also been widened and given a smoother bevel for added visual impact.
The third pair from the new collection differs with a dial in a beige hue, rendered by a galvanic process. Adding depth to this light colour, the dials are smoked away from the centre and become completely black towards the outer edge.
Echoing this two-tone aesthetic, the stainless steel case is contrasted with a black ceramic case middle and crown. On the selfwinding chronograph, black is also used for the small seconds sub dial and to outline the beige counters.
The redesign of the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet further puts an emphasis on readability.
Elongated hour-markers replace Arabic numerals while a more detailed seconds scale reinforces precision. The numerals’ typography has also been adapted while legibility in the dark is enhanced by a coating of Super LumiNova.
After the stainless steel watches, Audemars Piguet will extend this design evolution to gold models and complications in the coming years.
