IT's A KIND OF MAGIC: AUDEMARS PIGUET CODE 11:59

What’s in a name?

Code 11:59 is not a conventional name for a watch. There’s no romantic link to the stars, nor a reverential nod to a watchmaker of a bygone era. This is a name for a watch from a brand punching holes in the walls of the traditional watchmaking establishment. ‘Code’ is in fact an acronym. C stands for ‘challenge’, O for ‘own’, D for ‘dare’ and E for ‘evolve’. 11:59 is the last minute before midnight, or midday. This is the watch’s DNA, says Audemars Piguet.

Not just a watch, but a collection

There are 13 news references in the Code 11:59 collection. They cover everything from the entry point Self-Winding through to a suite of high-end complications – including the Minute Repeater Supersonnerie, a watch that chimes the time on demand and harnesses Audemars Piguet’s in-house developed chiming acoustics. In short, it’s loud. There’s also a chronograph and a perpetual calendar with a stunning blue aventurine dial – a celestial touch for a complication that looks into the future. The calendar, for the record, will keep showing the correct date, even in leap years, until 2100, provided the watch is kept wound.

The shape of things to come

What shape is a watch? You get the feeling that when designing Code 11:59, Audemars Piguet asked this question and threw out every existing answer. Even octagonal, the bezel shape that defines its iconic Royal Oak. In its long history, the company has repeatedly created unconventional watches, using bold, sometimes asymmetrical forms and unexpected lines. Again, breaking the rules. Code 11:59 doesn’t have a shape per se – at least, not a traditionally defined one. The bird’s eye view of the case (which across the collection only comes in white or pink gold) is round, but the case middle is octagonal, which you only fully appreciate when turning it over in your hand. This creates a unique tension, but one that’s elegantly balanced so it’s intriguing and memorable. The bezel is super-slim so the eye is drawn into the lacquered dials and their exquisite detailing, an experience made stronger by the glass, which is domed on the inside and vertically curved from 12 to 6 on the outside. The effect of that complex combination is not unlike looking through a lens.

Code 11:59’s obsessive detailing is typified by two elements. The first is the lugs, which are somehow attached to that slimline bezel but not to the lower section of the case. This is an extraordinary feat of engineering that, to the naked eye, means the lugs almost appear to float. The second is the logo. For this signature element, Audemars Piguet used a chemical process called galvanic growth that’s a bit like 3D printing, building each letter with thin layers of gold. These are then joined with links no thicker than a human hair. One other detail to note. All 13 of the new references are 41mm in diameter, an intentionally modest case size that shows Audemars Piguet expects these new pieces to be worn by both men and women.

What’s inside counts, too

A big part of the Code 11:59 story is the three new in-house Audemars Piguet movements introduced with this collection. The Self-Winding is powered by a new automatic calibre with central seconds and a date; the chronograph is backed by an integrated column wheel chronograph movement with a flyback function that resets and restarts the chronograph simultaneously (integrated rather than modular, as would be the case with many thicker, more basic chronograph movements); and an automatic flying tourbillon.

Is Code 11:59 a contemporary icon?

Defining an icon from what has gone before is hard enough – calling a new one is precarious. But the ingredients are definitely there. What needs to be pointed out and applauded though, is the boldness of Code 11:59 and the spirit behind it. At a time when most of its competitors are reworking archive models for modern audiences – a tried-and-tested strategy that has delivered some beautiful pieces – Audemars Piguet’s ambition is a breath of fresh air. Early adopters will love it. It may be too early to call it an icon, but Code 11:59 is certainly a landmark design and yes, perhaps even the beginning of a lasting legacy.

A launch to remember

Last night, Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons hosted a spectacular launch event for Code 11:59 in Dubai. Guests and collectors were invited to the Annexe at the majestic Burj Khalifa, where they enjoyed live entertainment (including a mesmerising magician), fine dining and a night full of surprises.