Singapore Tatler Jewels & Time – August 2019

2019/20 JEWELS & TIME 23

everyone’s lips—but, not all the comments were fl attering.

Many were underwhelmed by the initial images of the

watch, and felt that it did not represent the bold, dynamic

Audemars Piguet that most people knew. As the watch fair

progressed, however, sentiments began to change. Insiders

who got to see the watch in the metal were surprised by

its quiet elegance. Unlike Audemars Piguet’s hit icons, the

Code 11.59 is an exercise in subtlety—bearing details that

truly make the watch shine on a closer look.

The case, for instance, is a beauty to behold. The watch

is round when viewed from its front or back, but tilt it a

little, and it is immediately clear that the profi le of the case

is octagonal. Formed via bevelling, as well as alternating

brushed and polished fi nishes, these “facets” go all round

the perimeter of the case, framing a curved bezel and

sapphire crystal that give the watch a unique shape. And

while the V-shaped lugs may seem conventional at fi rst,

viewing the watch from its side will reveal that they are

in fact only attached to

the case’s bezel. The lower

parts of the lugs rest against

the caseback and are not

actually attached, making

them look as if they are suspended in air—an illusion that

gives the watch a modern edge.

That attention to detail also extends to the dial details.

Take, for instance, the Audemars Piguet logo, which is

usually printed. Instead, it is rendered in three-dimensional

24K gold. To create the tiny hour indices, Audemars Piguet

employed galvanic growth, a new chemical process that

allows the numerals to be 3D-printed, using layers of gold

with micrometric precision. Although the technology has

been used on metals used in movement parts, this is the fi rst

time it is utilised for 24K gold. Each sharp-edged numeral

is then applied carefully by hand. The fi nal touch is seen in

the glare-proof, double-curved sapphire glass. The internal

surface of the glass is shaped like a dome, while the external

surface is vertically curved from 6 to 12 o’clock. This double

curve acts as a form of optical lensing.

There are six models in the Code 11.59 collection. Each of

these pieces is equipped with one of six in-house calibres, of

which three are completely new: a self-winding integrated

column wheel fl yback chronograph (signifi cant because

it is Audemars Piguet’s fi rst-ever integrated chronograph

movement); a self-winding calibre with date and small

seconds indications; and a self-winding fl ying tourbillon.

The other three models include a perpetual calendar, an

openworked tourbillon, and a minute repeater supersonnerie.

Truth be told, it is unlikely that the Code 11.59 will

be the watch of choice for someone who likes the Royal

Oak or Royal Oak Offshore, or any other timepiece with

an immediately impressive presence. In choosing to

create a round watch with elegant and subtle detailing,

Audemars Piguet is probably seeking out a new audience

that would appreciate a more minimal aesthetic. Whether

the Code 11.59 will succeed or not remains to be seen, but

it has certainly broken a signifi cant barrier by representing

an interesting development of the Audemars Piguet

brand identity.

Insiders who got to see the

Code 11.59 watches in the

metal were surprised by

its quiet elegance.