“To break the rules, you must first master them.”
In 1978, Audemars Piguet developed the world’s thinnest selfwinding perpetual calendar and with it, paved the way for the revival of classical mechanical complications. This year, the perpetual calendar is making waves again, as part of the newest CODE 11.59 by Audemars Piguet collection.
Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet writes a new page in the Manufacture’s history and represents its genetic code. CODE stands for Challenge, Own, Dare and Evolve. Jasmine Audemars, Chairwoman of Audemars Piguet’s Board of Directors, who also attended the event, explains, “At Audemars Piguet, we constantly challenge ourselves to push the limits of craftsmanship. Endowed with a strong spirit of independence, we proudly own our roots and territory, daring to combine precision and creativity. Faithful to our legacy, we continue to evolve by preserving and rewriting traditions. 11.59 is ahead of the game, constantly on the brink of tomorrow.”
The contemporary evolution of a classic, this collection gives a contemporary twist and a certain edginess to the classic round watch. Its highly recognisable case boldly embeds an octagonal middle case within a round bezel and caseback, alluding to the Manufacture’s long history of unconventional form and design languages. Chamfered, polished and satin-brushed, the bezel, openworked lugs and case present high complexity finishing techniques usually found on calibres. Designed for both men and women, this 41 mm case also presents an arched ergonomics comfortable for all to wear.
An astronomical watch par excellence, the Perpetual Calendar of the CODE 11.59 by Audemars Piguet collection features a dark blue aventurine dial and subdials recalling a star-lit sky. Aventurine glass was created in the 17th century thanks to a chance manipulation (“all’avventura”) in a Murano glass factory when copper filings were dropped into cooling molten glass, creating a constellation of sparkling particles. Today, his glass is obtained by introducing black copper oxide and cobalt that give the blue colour to the glass. The pink gold case, hands and applied hour-markers enrich the deep blue sparkling constellation of the aventurine dial.
The dial’s starry particles resonate with the moon indication at 6 o’clock. A photographic image of the moon is reproduced through laser engraving and applied on an aventurine disc that subtly matches the design of the dial. The astronomical moon serves to diminish the daily display error. Thanks to this function, adjustment is required once every 122 years and 108 days.
In addition to providing the astronomical moon indication at 6 o’clock, the perpetual calendar indicates the day number and week day at 3 and 9 o’clock respectively, the month at 12 o’clock, the week numbers on the lacquered blue inner bezel, as well as the hours and minutes.
The clarity of the Aventurine dial and its intricacies as well as the expertly designed subdials and markers are further enhanced by the complex double curved glareproofed sapphire crystal created for the CODE 11.59 by Audemars Piguet collection. The glass’s internal surface is shaped like a dome, while its external surface is vertically curved from 6 to 12 o’clock. The glass’ arched profile embodies the watch’scontemporary design. Playing with depth, perspective and light, this double curved crystal offers a unique visual experience, while enhancing the detailed work on the dial.
The CODE 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Perpetual Calendar houses selfwinding Manufacture calibre 5134 optimised with the collection’s signature openworked weight in 22-carat gold, visible through the watch’scaseback.
Devoted to the preservation and transmission of its passion, savoir-faire and avant-garde spirit, Audemars Piguet continues to infuse its timepieces with enduring values of artistic excellence and technical mastery, clearly showcased with its newest Perpetual Calendar.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS CODE 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Perpetual Calendar
26394OR.OO.D321CR.01
Watch Technical Data
Functions Perpetual calendar with week indication Day Date Astronomical moon Month Leap year Hours Minutes
Case
41 mm diameter 18-carat pink gold case Glareproofed sapphire crystal and caseback Water-resistant to 20 m
Dial
Blue aventurine dial and subdials 18-carat pink gold applied hour-markers and hands Lacquered blue inner bezel
Strap
Hand-stitched “large square scale” blue alligator strap with 18-carat pink gold folding clasp
Movement Technical Data
Selfwinding Manufacture calibre 5134 Total diameter: 29 mm (123⁄4 lignes) Total thickness: 4.31 mm
Number of jewels: 38
Number of parts: 374 Minimal guaranteed power reserve: 40 h Frequency of balance wheel: 2.75 Hz (= 19,800 vibrations/hour)