Le Brassus, March 2024 – Swiss Haute Horlogerie manufacturer Audemars Piguet is pleased to unveil seven new Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet references in 38 and 41 mm, all in 18-carat pink gold. Designed to fit all wrists, these models include the new aesthetic introduced in 2023 on the first stainless steel timepieces, as well as the collection’s signature dial design. Five years after its launch, the collection continues to evolve, and today boasts a large range of sizes, materials, colours and complications that all display an ultra-contemporary design.
SEVEN REFERENCES, ONE AESTHETIC
The new Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet models feature the collection’s design evolution that was first introduced on the stainless steel references in 2023. The “signature” embossed dial pattern was specially created for the collection and replaced the previous dials that were more sober in design. Conceived by the Audemars Piguet design team in collaboration with Swiss guilloché craftsman Yann von Kaenel, this decoration enhances legibility and the play on the light.
Meticulously engraved by hand, the base dies used to strike the dials feature a pattern of concentric circles like ripples on the surface of water. These circles are adorned with hundreds of tiny holes that play with the light. The dials are then coloured using a PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) or galvanic process to preserve and enhance the contours revealed during the stamping process. A myriad of details come together in this magical dial that is a testament to local talent and craftsmanship.
Emphasising comfort and legibility, these seven new reverences feature elongated, flattened, facetted and polished 18-carat pink gold hour-markers that are enhanced with a luminescent material for optimal readability in the dark. Furthermore, the typography of the seconds scale, the shape of the crown and the signature buckle have been slightly adapted, reinforcing the modern style of the timepieces in line with the design introduced in 2023.
TWO NEW VARIATIONS FOR SLIMMER WRISTS
Among the new range of models, two 38 mm Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Selfwinding references join the first two pieces launched in October 2023.
These two references in 18-carat pink gold come in radically opposed shades of blue, creating an elegant contrast with the precious metal of the case. The first model features luminous light blue tones that spread across the dial, date window, inner bezel and strap, giving the piece a harmonious design. The second reference features the iconic “Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50” colour introduced on the first Royal Oak (Model 5402). This dark blue hue is illuminated here with several pink gold details that bring depth to the piece.
The contemporary cases feature the same meticulous and refined finishes as seen on the Manufacture’s calibres with alternating polished and satin-finished surfaces, underlining their multifaceted architecture. Both models are fitted with large-scale squares alligator straps that match the colour of the dials. It is also possible to opt for a textured rubber strap in light or dark blue.
A RANGE OF SELFWINDING MODELS AND SELFWINDING CHRONOGRAPHS
The Manufacture is introducing five new variations in a 41 mm diameter, including two Selfwinding models and three Selfwinding Chronographs.
A bewitching shade of green adorns the dial of the first Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Selfwinding model. The contrast with the pink gold details and the play on the light created by the dial motif reveal the full richness of this green colour, which continues onto the inner bezel and the strap. This selfwinding hours, minutes, seconds and date model is accompanied by a Selfwinding Chronograph in the same colour. The 9 and 3 o’clock counters are also coloured in the same green and come with a gold outer zone, while the 6 o’clock counter appears entirely in green.
The “Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50” shade is featured on two 41 mm models. The Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Selfwinding timepiece features a dial in a uniform tone to match the strap, which is contrasted by a subtle grey inner bezel. The corresponding Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Selfwinding Chronograph presents a dial with two blue counters framed in grey at 9 and 3 o’clock, and an all-grey counter at 6 o’clock echoing the colour of the inner bezel. Highlighting the deep colour of the dial, the straps on both models are made of textured dark-blue rubber.
Playing with contrasts, the fifth reference combines 18-carat pink gold case elements with an octagonal black ceramic case middle and crown. This alliance of light and shadow continues onto the black dial, which is surrounded by a matching inner bezel, on which the hands, hour-markers, counter contours and Audemars Piguet signature stand out in gold tones. In keeping with the rest of the range, the small seconds counter at 6 o’clock is entirely in black, as is the strap.
“These new models follow the different evolutions that the collection has seen in 2023. In addition to the new signature decoration now appearing on certain 41 mm gold models, the 38 mm line has now been enriched with new references and original colours, enabling the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet to be worn on all types of wrists, illustrating its extreme versatility as well as its contemporary spirit.”
Sofia Candeias
Product Director, Audemars Piguet
LATEST GENERATION MOVEMENTS
These new references are powered by latest-generation movements. Combining technical precision, reliability, ergonomics and refined finishes, these movements have been designed by Audemars Piguet’s engineers and watchmakers for contemporary lifestyles.
The two 38 mm selfwinding models are equipped with the Calibre 5900. Introduced on some 37 mm Royal Oak models in 2022, this movement combines thinness (3.9 mm), high frequency (4Hz) and a 60-hour power reserve.
The 41 mm timepieces are powered by the Calibre 4302 – hours, minutes, seconds and a date display – and the Calibre 4401, an integrated selfwinding chronograph with a column wheel and flyback function. Both movements are equipped with a patented mechanism that provides stability and precision when setting the watch. With their generous 32 mm diameter, they ensure enhanced chronometry. Calibre 4401 is also equipped with a vertical gear system that prevents the hands from jumping when the chronograph is activated or stopped. A patented reset mechanism ensures that each counter hand returns to its original position.
The sapphire crystal caseback reveals a 22-carat pink gold oscillating weight dedicated to the collection, as well as the Haute Horlogerie decorations that adorn the components of these three movements, such as polished angles, vertical satin-finishing, Côtes de Genève, circular graining and chamfering.
FIVE YEARS OF AESTHETIC AND TECHNICAL EVOLUTION
Launched in 2019, the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet collection introduced 13 references and three new calibres at the same time, ranging from a Selfwinding model to a Selfwinding Chronograph, not to mention a Minute Repeater Supersonnerie, a Tourbillon and a Perpetual Calendar. The diversity of models illustrates the versatility of the collection from the outset, while laying the foundations of its aesthetic codes: an octagonal case middle integrated between a caseback and an extra-thin round bezel; a double-curved sapphire crystal offering a rare visual experience; stylised lugs whose top is welded to the bezel, while the bottom rests in perfect symmetry on the caseback; dials ranging from refined, lacquered versions to aventurine ones adorned with Arabic numerals and elegant hands; and finally, a logo in relief created by a galvanic growth process. Designed in white or pink gold, the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet cases are among the most complex made by the Manufacture.
Since its inception, the collection has focused on complications that blend harmoniously into a technically geometrical case. Over the years, new prestigious complications have been added, including the Grande Sonnerie Carillon Supersonnerie (2020) and the Flying Tourbillon Chronograph (2021). In December 2022, the Manufacture added the Starwheel, one of the most iconic display complications. The return of the wandering hours complication to the brand’s catalogue was followed in February 2023 by the launch of the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Ultra-Complication Universelle RD#4, the most complicated timepiece ever produced by the Manufacture. Powered by the Calibre 1000, with 40 functions of which there are 23 complications, this 42 mm horological feat pushed the boundaries in terms of ergonomics and user-friendliness, opening up new avenues, not only for Audemars Piguet, but for the watchmaking sector as a whole.
In 2020, the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet case featured, for the very first time, a two-tone design in white gold with a pink gold case middle, reinforcing the contrast between its complex architecture and contemporary allure. The Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Selfwinding Chronograph then paved the way for the first models featuring a ceramic case middle, such as the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Flying Tourbillon Openworked model unveiled in 2022, which combined an 18-carat white gold case with an electric blue ceramic case middle. This evolution pushed the complexity of the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet even further, as the finishing of the ceramic and the perfect alignment of the various angular and round surfaces required the most meticulous craftsmanship. In 2023, the collection welcomed its first 41 mm Selfwinding and Selfwinding Chronograph models in stainless steel. The arrival of this new, sportier material opened up new possibilities for the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet.
Not only has the case undergone material upgrades, but the dial has too. In 2020, the dials of the new Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet range came alive with a new palette of colours along with sunburst and smoked finishes, giving them depth and mystery. Creativity also continued in the trilogy of unique Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Grande Sonnerie Carillon Supersonnerie timepieces, which over the years, have been adorned with enamel dials created in collaboration with the Swiss enamel artist Anita Porchet. In 2022, the collection was enriched with selfwinding models set with diamonds, which adorned the dial, case middle and lugs. Natural stone dials also made an appearance the same year, with the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Flying Tourbillon model that featured a minimalist black onyx dial. Finally, in 2023, the collection welcomed its first models in green enamelled aventurine, as well as its first sapphire dials, revealing the watchmaking technique of the Minute Repeater Supersonnerie movements.
In 2023, the collection underwent an aesthetic evolution that accompanied the launch of the first stainless steel models. For the occasion, a new dial design was unveiled with a new embossed motif, hour-markers that replaced the previous Arabic numerals and a redesigned crown. In the second half of the year, a new 38 mm diameter made its appearance, providing an alternative for slender wrists. These different evolutions contribute to making the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet a collection that is focused on ergonomics and adapts to all wrists for every occasion.
Today, with the arrival of these seven new 38 and 41 mm models in pink gold, the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet collection continues to thrive and confirms its versatility in terms of design and watchmaking savoir-faire.
