Cover The bezel and lugs are satin-brushed by hand (Photo: Courtesy of Audemars Piguet)

Audemars Piguet’s continued expertise in crafting out-of-the-ordinary watches with complex mechanical movements goes a step further with its collection Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet

Once again, Audemars Piguet has charted its own course, pushing further the limits of its craft. With its latest launch earlier this year—Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet—the Le Brassus Manufacture has come out with an entirely new collection that will sit alongside Audemars Piguet's established favourites such as the Royal Oak, Millenary and Royal Oak Offshore, for years to come.

A comprehensive launch with a full collection of 13 references conceived for both men and women, Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet includes four self-winding models with date indication, a perpetual calendar, two self-winding flying tourbillons, a tourbillon openworked, a minute repeater supersonnerie, and four self-winding chronographs.

See also: The Philosophy Of Time With Audemars Piguet

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Above Precise machining of the caseback or bezel (Photo: Courtesy of Audemars Piguet)

With the new collection comes a bold new design, which incorporates a completely new case architecture that, inserts itself in Audemars Piguet's long history of unconventional design. For Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet, the Manufacture has gone with a multifaceted curved architecture that comprises an octagonal middle case, a round extra-thin bezel and stylised arched lugs.

The case of the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet is an area where the Manufacture has really pushed boundaries. The bottom lugs lean delicately against the caseback in perfect alignment. Each lug is individually soldered to the bezel with a soldering paste applied by hand, and their resistance to tear is tested in a machine that the company conceived specifically for the collection.

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Above Each case component is measured with extreme precision (Photo: Courtesy of Audemars Piguet)

When it comes to finishing techniques, the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet uses refined hand-finishing techniques such as satin-brushing and polishing to produce a complex and detailed finish. While it is not uncommon to see an alternation between satin-brushed and polished surfaces on Audemars Piguet timepieces, for the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet, the Manufacture has pushed the envelope even further.

Each component of the case has been pre-polished and pre-satin-brushed after machining before being decorated with immaculate detail by hand. The expert polisher delicately chamfers the angular surfaces of each component, adding a smooth and mirror finish. The difficulty in this particular process lies in polishing the smallest details without altering their forms and compromising the piece’s alignment.

See also: Audemars Piguet's New Code 11.59 Collection Is A Game Changer

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Above All the dimensions of the middle case are measured with extreme precision (Photo: Courtesy of Audemars Piguet)

Precision lies in the tiniest details. The polished chamfers adorning the lugs’ internal and external surfaces, as well as the hidden face leaning against the caseback, testify to the technical and aesthetic complexity of Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet. The screw openings on the lugs also present polished bevels barely visible to the eye. Each component is then finished carefully with traits-tirés—a technique which requires extreme dexterity, patience and perfect alignment.

The dials for each piece in the collection differ according to the reference, but they all follow the same general theme of clarity. The dial is covered by a complex, double-curved glare-proofed sapphire crystal, which has been conceived specifically for the collection. With its internal surface shaped like a dome and its external surface curved vertically from 6 to 12 o’clock, the dial is even more readable.

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Above The lugs are welded to the extra-thin bezel in a belt furnace (Photo: Courtesy of Audemars Piguet)

One thing that stays the same across all the models is the 41mm diameter. Despite this relatively large profile, the ergonomic case, which has been designed with both men and women in mind, mean the watch is comfortable for all to wear. 

Discover more at audemarspiguet.com

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