Cover In a major refresh, six new references have been released featuring stainless steel cases, new colours and a completely revamped aesthetic (Photo: courtesy of Audemars Piguet)
In a major refresh, six new references have been released featuring stainless steel cases, new colours and a completely revamped aesthetic (Photo: courtesy of Audemars Piguet)
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Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet now features six new references with stainless steel cases, new colours and a completely revamped look
If there’s such a thing as being too successful, some might say Audemars Piguet managed that with its iconic Royal Oak. A legendary timepiece, loved universally, it was always going to be a tough act to follow. And yet the brand managed it with the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet, which was originally launched in 2019 to much fanfare. Now, with a major refresh, six new references have been released featuring stainless steel cases, new colours and a completely revamped aesthetic that emphasises both ergonomics and legibility.
Owing to its complex architecture, featuring stylised tumbled lugs, an ultra-thin bezel and an octagonal middle, the case of the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet is one of the most complicated in the company’s history, having been taken up a notch by the introduction of stainless steel, a material far less malleable than gold that requires the use of cutting-edge technology and painstaking hand-finishing. Four of the six new models are made entirely from stainless steel, with the other two combining steel and black ceramic with beige dials.
The six new 41mm references come with a brand-new embossed dial featuring a striking rippled pattern made up of concentric circles, developed by Audemars Piguet in collaboration with Swiss guilloché craftsman Yann von Kaenel, who painstakingly hand- engraved the stamps used to create the effect.
Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Selfwinding Chronograph 41mm with beige leather and rubber strap (Photo: courtesy of Audemars Piguet)
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Further design upgrades come in the form of new, elongated baton- shaped hour markers—crafted in 18-karat white gold and coated in Super-LumiNova so they are visible in the dark—which replace the Arabic numerals that had been present on the previous models. The inner bezel also now features a more detailed seconds scale, and a more rounded crown with shallower yet more obvious indentations than its predecessor.
Three of the new models are driven by Audemars Piguet’s Calibre 4302 with seconds and date function, while the other three are powered by the Calibre 4401, an integrated self-winding chronograph movement with column wheel and flyback.
The six new references come in three colour options—smoky beige, khaki green and the familiar “Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50” blue that is an iconic feature of the Royal Oak collection.
