In the year since its launch, the dust has settled and we'll be delving once again into the Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 41 mm replica watch 26393BC.OO.A321CR.01, which comes with a blue dial/white gold self-winding chronograph. Because, objectively speaking, this watch has a lot to offer.
Thirteen new references, six news models, three brand new calibres, including the much-awaited in-house integrated chronograph… The launch of this brand new collection at the SIHH 2019 was a major step in the history of Audemars Piguet, a new beginning of sorts, a disruptive choice that had nothing to do with yet another octagonal watch inspired by or derived from the Royal Oak. The basic concept with Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 replica watch was to create a new pillar in the collection next to the Royal Oak, Royal Oak Offshore, Royal Oak Concept and Millenary. But one that no one really expected. In fact, we’d known for years that Audemars Piguet was preparing a new collection and that in itself generated a great deal of anticipation around this new product.
The modern replica Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-Thin 15202ST, the closest to the original 1972 ref. 5402ST you can get.
The brand was founded in 1875 by Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet in the Vallée de Joux, Switzerland. The following 100 years saw some of the most respectable and desirable Haute Horlogerie creations emerge from a manufacture capable of producing some of the most complex and distinguished watches. The liberation of mentalities that came with the late 1960s and early 1970s had an effect on the brand and in 1972, the Royal Oak was created: a watch that would change the face of this watchmaking company forever. While not an immediate success, this watch slowly became a hit, a cult object and the brand’s main strongpoint… and coincidentally its main weakness.
In the past decade, Audemars Piguet focused its production almost entirely on watches based on Genta’s octagonal design – whether RO, ROO or ROC watches – which represented the vast majority of the watches sold. The classic, round and elegant watch (Jules Audemars collection) had fallen out of favour and the same went for the small, elegant and rectangular Edouard Piguet line. The Millenary is now a watch mostly aimed at a feminine audience. The Royal Oak (and its multiple iterations) made the brand very successful in the past decades; however, this almost mono-product strategy was not devoid of risk. The brand knew it and reacted by introducing Code 11.59 By Audemars Piguet replica 26393BC.OO.A321CR.01 – all of this is explained in the words of CEO François-Henry Bennahmias in our in-depth video, here. But trying to find your place next to a watch as strong and as iconic as the Royal Oak is no easy task.
Today, Audemars Piguet has a bold and modern approach to Haute Horlogerie and this shows in this Code 11:59. The basic concept was to bring back the classic round watch in AP’s collection, yet to have a contemporary, younger approach for a less traditional clientele. The small, conservative dress watch doesn’t really work for the brand, and Code 11.59 replica watch represents a new vision of a modern classic. However, there’s more to this watch than just a round case… And we’re going to take a closer look in this review.
Audemars Piguet is a brand with a strong (to say the least) identity, forged largely on the shape of a particular case. However, reducing the brand to just that would be an insult to the exceptionally desirable watches that brand has created, including many grande complications, perpetual calendars, chronographs – some of which were revived in the newly introduced [Re]master collection.
The brand’s newest collection couldn’t just be a shape. It had to be a sum of details, savoir-faire and a demonstration of what AP can do in terms of dial making, watch design and, of course, movement making. Once you handle an example of Code 11.59 By Audemars Piguet replica you understand that it has to be explored, deciphered, observed. This watch is round… but not only. This watch is classic… only from a far distance. This watch is a chronograph… yes, but its movement is state-of-the-art. This watch is less of a statement piece… that is for sure.
A watch is first and foremost a three-dimensional object made to be worn, not an object to appear in a magazine or on a billboard. It is a lively object, with proportions, angles, curves, reflections, which change depending on the light conditions, which need to be seen in action. And this is where Code 11.59 By Audemars Piguet replica becomes something unique. Forget about the early images and hands-on; this watch, its case, its crystal and its shape is impressively detailed and deserves to be touched and tested.
Code 11.59 is a bit like (a handsome) Harvey Two-Face. Depending on the angle, the watch reveals two different personalities. From the top, the case is round, with a wide dial opening and almost no bezel. Its lugs also appear pretty simple. Stopping the examination of this case here would be (extremely) reductive. This watch needs to be seen from an angle – which is actually the natural view you’ll have of this watch when worn on the wrist. And then, you’ll discover sides that are highly detailed, complex and even intriguing.
To make a connection with the Royal Oak, the central container of Code 11.59, the part that sits in between the bezel and the caseback, which holds the movement, is octagonally shaped – a discreet reference to what has made the brand so iconic in the past 48 years. This central container is finely brushed and polished, with sharp facets and neat separations between the different finishes. Something that gives this watch its DNA, its identity, but in a discreet, elegant manner.
The same dual nature can be applied to the lugs. From the top, they appear simple. However, these lugs, an integral part of an element that also incorporates the bezel, are hollowed, finished with a brushed surface and complex polished bevels. Funny detail is that the screw heads are hexagonal, simply for visual pleasure, which is again another nod to the hexagonal screws on the Royal Oak. Looking at these details offers a truly different perception of the case.
Regarding specifications, the watch is contemporary sized, with a 41mm diameter and a relatively restrained height (at least for an automatic chronograph) of 12.6mm. The case sits well on the wrist, with some presence but also great comfort due to the positioning of the strap, allowing the whole watch to ‘hug’ the wrist. It is available exclusively in 18k gold – white or pink. Some variations, in two-tone or other materials, will certainly be introduced later. Overall, the execution of the case is impressive, detailed and on par with what you’d expect from Audemars Piguet replica. The decoration of the surfaces is extremely precise and neat, contributing to the overall luxurious (but not ostentatious) feeling.
The second element that is particularly important in Code 11.59 By Audemars Piguet replica is its crystal. We usually don’t spend much time exploring this element of a watch in our reviews, as it remains rather simple in most cases. However, here, there’s a lot to discover. Once again, from a top view, nothing really special happens, with the exception of its large diameter and its expansive view of the large dial. But once again, rotate the watch and something happens.
Code 11.59 is equipped with a double-curved crystal; it has a classic convex circular shape on the internal side but it is also curved from 12 to 6 on the external surface. A very complex element that has two-fold manifestations. First, the convex shape reduces deformations and offers an undistorted view of the dial, even in very angled positions. Secondly, as both the outer and inner surfaces are curved, there’s a magical optical effect, a so-called diffraction grating (when an optical component splits and diffracts light into several beams travelling in different directions) that animates the watch in a truly unusual but fascinating way – I’ve seen myself playing with the ambient light and moving my wrist just to see this effect… Guilty pleasure!
This discreet and slightly shy nature of the Code 11.59 By Audemars Piguet replica, in the sense that it doesn’t give it all away at first sight, is also applicable when examining the dial. Simplistic (maybe too simplistic) on the 3-hand model, the chronograph adds complexity in the display, inherent to this type of watch. It is more animated, more complex and has more depth and surfaces to play with the light.
The Code 11.59 By Audemars Piguet Selfwinding Chronograph replica is only available for now with dark-toned dials, whether pitch black or the present deep blue colour. As you can see from our photos here, the dial has a glossy, mirror-like surface that is obtained from lacquer, requiring from 8 to 12 layers. The dial is hand-lacquered and hand-polished, resulting in a flawless, smooth surface with no orange peel effect (something you’ll find in a lower-end watches). Lacquer wasn’t the easiest choice since the surface is prone to scratch and many dials are rejected during the production. A complex process that results in a lively dial that changes from light grey-blue to almost pitch black.
The display is classic for a chronograph, with a 3-6-9 layout with slightly oversized chronograph counters and a smaller running seconds. A date window sits at 4.30, a choice in line with the daily vocation of this watch. The sub-counters are framed by a metallic ring and have a matte surface creating contrast and animating the dial. The hands, all executed in 18k white gold, have beautiful, rounded and polished surfaces, despite their relatively simple shapes. Same goes for the baton indexes, simple but beautifully executed. However, the hands are probably the only thing I would complain about; the minute hand is thinner than the hour hand and in dim light conditions it was sometimes hard to see or confused with the central chronograph seconds hand.
Two elements of this dial deserve a special mention. First are the 12 indexes, raised and shaped to follow the curvature of the crystal (convex from top to bottom). Second is the logo, which is applied on the dial and made in 24k gold by a galvanic growth process – the only way to obtain such thin letters.
Meet Calibre 4401 – What is this movement? It is a modern architecture, an integrated automatic chronograph – built as a whole, not as the assembly of a 3-hand movement and a chronograph module since all the parts are seamlessly integrated. It also utilizes the finest options for the actuation of its chronograph functions, meaning a column wheel and a vertical clutch – allowing for a precise start of the chronograph function avoiding the jump of the chronograph seconds hand when the teeth mesh. This movement also features a unique positioning of the hammers and springs responsible for resetting the hands, the three being aligned on a horizontal axis.
Additionally, the Calibre 4401 features a flyback function. Also named retour en vol in French, this allows the chronograph to be returned to zero and restarted instantly with a single push of the button at 4 o’clock. This function allows rapid retiming without the need to push the buttons three times in succession to stop, reset and start the chronograph.
Besides the functions linked to the chronograph, this new movement by Audemars Piguet has a focus on chronometric precision, with a transversal balance bridge rather than a balance cock (more stable) and a large balance wheel with enhanced inertia and 6 adjustment weights. The movement runs at 4Hz and features a large barrel delivering 70 hours of power reserve.
The design and decoration of the movement are very pleasant. It includes straight and circular satin brushing, Geneva stripes and perlage – on both sides of the bridges, even in the hidden areas. The bridges feature large chamfers and are perfectly diamond polished. The 22k gold rotor is openworked with the AP logo (and multiple sharp internal anglages), which offers a superb view of the mechanism.
As with all other models in the collection, Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 self-winding chronograph replica is a boutique exclusive and is available in 18k rose or white gold, as well as black or blue dials. The current version (ref. 26393BC.OO.A321CR.01) is priced at CHF 42,600. More information, please visit our latest replica Audemars Piguet watch listing, we are the largest and most reliable replica of luxury watches store, copy watches such as Rolex, Patek Phillippe, Panerai, Cartier, Hublot, IWC, Tag Heuer and more.
Read more from https://cosywatch.blogspot.com/2020/08/introducing-audemars-piguet-code-1159.html.
