The Extremely-Complication Watch by Audemars Piguet, Code 11.59 Universelle

Let’s go straight to the purpose: Audemars Piguet selected its Code 11.59 to deal with its most complex wristwatch, the Extremely-Complication Universelle RD#4, delivering a daring assertion and demonstrating the model’s unbelievable technical brilliance. It’s advanced but compact, shows the indications neatly, and is straightforward to function. Immediately, we dive in to explain the timepiece to you intimately.

It looks as if it has been over 4 years since Audemars Piguet launched the Code 11.59 assortment. Launched in 2019, it was initially met with negativity and criticism for not being one other Royal Oak when it shouldn’t. Whereas it’s true that the model has completely and sadly change into synonymous with the long-lasting Royal Oak and its derivatives in view of most people, AP have to be praised for making a really radical and brave step in direction of turning into, as soon as once more, recognised as a number one watchmaking firm with a various portfolio. And what a step it was. The yr the gathering was launched, the Code 11.59 Minute Repeater Supersonnerie was famous by the Jury of GPHG, profitable the Males’s Complication Watch Prize in 2019, which is an enormous deal. 

The Code 11.59 elaborate case defines the gathering. It’s a true gem – spherical form, octagonal mid-case, openworked lugs, and signature curve – and since its introduction, it has known as for classy or equally putting and complicated dials to enrich it. Why the time-and-date fashions, launched within the inaugural Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet assortment, acquired essentially the most hate is comprehensible. The photographs disseminated on-line didn’t do justice to the exceptionally crafted watches, largely attributable to barely uninteresting dials. Nonetheless, as the brand new fashions stored coming in to impress essentially the most hardened sceptics and to silence the critics, it grew to become crystal clear that Code 11.59 was en path to success and in the future may surpass the significance and attract of the Royal Oak (perhaps…). Check out the present Code lineup, together with the very unconventional Starwheel, which appeared to attend a few years for the right case design to reincarnate; admire the blue “guilloché and flinqué” enamel dial of the Grande Sonnerie Carillon Supersonnerie or the aventurine perpetual calendars. Code 11.59 is to be taken very significantly, and the brand new references that AP just lately added make it granite robust. Audemars Piguet selected Code 11.59 to deal with its most complex wristwatch, the Extremely-Complication Universelle RD#4. 

The Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Universelle Extremely-Complication RD#4 is a tribute to the L’Universelle pocket watch motion of 1899, some of the sophisticated ever produced by Audemars Piguet all through the historical past of the Manufacture – the watch is now on show at Musée Atelier Audemars Piguet as a part of the everlasting exhibition. L’Universelle incorporates 26 capabilities; problems embody Grande Sonnerie Carillon and a perpetual calendar, split-seconds, jumping-seconds and deadbeat-seconds chronograph – with 4 out of 5 chronograph arms managed by one single push-piece, and the model rightfully situates the watch subsequent to Breguet’s Marie Antoinette (1802) and Patek Philippe Henry Graves Supercomplication (1933).

RD#4 signifies it’s the fourth timepiece within the Analysis and Growth line, first launched in 2015 with the spectacular sound of the Royal Oak Idea Acoustic Analysis RD#1. Since then, the sequence featured the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Extremely-Skinny RD#2 (2019), the thinnest QP with computerized winding on the time (and nonetheless is among the many full-rotor QPs). Final yr, the Royal Oak Self-Winding Flying Tourbillon Additional-Skinny RD#3 was revealed to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of the RO. The Code 11.59 Universelle Extremely-Complication RD#4 combines the earlier three however must also be seen as the results of a few years of AP practising miniaturisation. 

To suit all of the RD#4 problems into the Code 11.59 case, AP needed to pump it up just a bit bit, including 1mm to the diameter (41mm is a typical dimension for the gathering) so it’s 42mm, whereas the thickness is 15.55mm, with the thinnest Code watch standing solely 10.70mm tall. Because the Universelle Extremely-Complication RD#4 is exclusive, one can’t evaluate it size-wise with different grand complication watches, however to offer you an thought, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Hybris Mechanica Grande Sonnerie is 45mm x 15mm, the A. Lange & Söhne Grand Complication is 50mm x 20.30mm, Les Cabinotiers Celestia Astronomical Grand Complication 3600 with its 23 problems is 45mm x 13.6mm, and the Patek Philippe 6300 Grandmaster Chime is 47.7mm x 16.07mm. So, AP’s Universelle Extremely-Complication RD#4 is probably not the thinnest, however nonetheless, it already ranks primary among the many ultra-complicated wristwatches at present as essentially the most user-friendly, intuitively foolproof and simple.

Nevertheless, you’ll want some directions to information you thru the educational means of managing 40 capabilities, or as a substitute, 23 problems and 17 technical gadgets of the brand new AP Universelle. You could study it by making an attempt intuitively, as you probably did with an iPhone. This analogy has the proper to be, as Giulio Papi, AP’s technical director, was impressed by the system’s usability and wished to create a extremely sophisticated watch to the identical impact. 

With the Code 11.59 Universelle Extremely-Complication, the pushers/correctors discovered on conventional grand complication watches are changed with labelled push-pieces on the left facet of the case. Some capabilities had been delegated to the three multi-tasking crowns with built-in push-pieces on the proper. There’s additionally a lever to open the “secret” extra-thin caseback cowl, however we’ll get to it later.

Earlier than revising the capabilities and studying using crowns and pushers, allow us to look intently on the watch and admire the advanced made easy. The pushers are seamlessly built-in, the crowns are flawless, and Universelle Extremely-Complication appears and looks like a watch anybody would take pleasure in. And with the trouble AP put into making it ergonomic in a basic sense – snug, simple to make use of, with glorious efficiency and up to date aesthetics – there’s just about nothing to complain about. Giulio Papi and his staff developed a wearable watch with an extended listing of specs and just a few fundamental ones to recollect since they’re those the proprietor would expertise. RD#4 options the Supersonnerie expertise launched in RD#1 (gongs mounted to a soundboard), so there’s Grande and Petite Sonnerie and a minute repeater. The watch additionally options the ultra-thin perpetual calendar mechanism introduced with the RD#2 and has a split-seconds flyback chronograph. The oscillator with an elevated amplitude launched with the RD#3 and the flying tourbillon (not initially deliberate to be featured) work for higher efficiency and presentation. 

To benefit from the acoustic results, you possibly can change between Grande Sonnerie, Petite Sonnerie, and silence mode utilizing the crown at 2 o’clock; the crown facet is marked. The Grande Sonnerie mode will make the mechanism strike the hours and quarter-hours in passing; the Petite Sonnerie will mechanically chime the hours solely; in silent mode, the chiming is off. The minute repeater is activated individually from the pusher at 10 o’clock. All of the chimings are powered by a specifically devoted barrel wound alternately with the principle barrel.

For RD#4, the Supersonnerie tech used to attain distinctive sound high quality by way of gongs connected to the soundboard fairly than the mainplate was redesigned and permits a view of the works. AP created the double caseback, with a skinny “secret” vented cowl to let the air in to amplify the sound and a 0.6mm skinny sapphire crystal membrane element for the gongs. When the lid is opened utilizing a lever below the crown at 3 o’clock, it reveals the split-seconds mechanism and the platinum oscillating weight with the engraved sound waves.

Now, since we talked about the cut up seconds, this mechanism was constructed to combine inside the thickness of the central rotor’s ball bearing; thus, it allowed for the general thickness of the motion to be diminished by 1.1mm to eight.75mm (which is just about 1mm greater than a Valjoux 7750…). The operation of the chronograph is comparatively easy. The crown at 2 o’clock with a notice image on high of the built-in pusher begins and stops the flyback chronograph. The pusher of the central crown at 3 o’clock is for the split-seconds activator. The push-button at 4 o’clock prompts the flyback and zero-reset. Straightforward.

As for the operations but to be talked about, the central crown at 3 o’clock permits the proprietor to wind the watch and set the time and date. The crown at 4 o’clock is for the forwards and backwards quick month and yr correction by partial rotation, and it auto-returns to its impartial place when the duty is accomplished. On the case’s left, the highest pusher with an engraved keynote prompts the minute repeater. The center is for the quick weekday correction (marked WD), and the decrease is for the moon section. And that is it! 

Now that we’re acquainted with the operation of the watch allow us to traverse the dial. The Code 11.59 Universelle Extremely-Complication RD#4 is launched in 4 variants, two characteristic what the model calls architectural dials, and two are extra conventional, with closed dials. The strong dials are available black or beige, in white gold, and the 2 references exhibiting the motion are supplied in white or pink gold. 

Opposite to widespread observe, the Universelle RD#4 was designed with the dial coming first fairly than the motion. The result’s fascinating; an ultra-complicated watch, particularly the strong dial variants, doesn’t seem like one. 

With the strong dial references, all of the calendar indications are evident and don’t intervene a lot with the chronograph sub-dials at 3 and 9 o’clock. The day indicator is at 9 o’clock, the massive date window is at 12, and the month window is at 3 o’clock. The yr indicator replaces the leap-year rudiment and is positioned subsequent to the 4 o’clock index.

The hour markers should not current on the architectural/openworked dials, permitting for a way more refined view. Right here the rotating day and month discs are integrated inside the chronograph sub-dials. This is similar motion we’re discussing, so AP designed it to accommodate the broader date wheels on the strong dials, proven by way of the aperture. On the open-dial RD#4s, the weekday and month are identified by purple triangle indicators.

The moon section indicator is positioned at 8 o’clock and synchronised with the yr indicator. The picture of the moon in transition between the phases is fashioned by two concentric discs with printed moon photos that may create ten completely different moon phases. As soon as appropriately set, the moon section perform wants no correction for 122 years, offered the watch runs continuous. The perpetual calendar is sweet till 2400; the QP mechanism is computed to account for the variety of days in every month and the leap years and mechanically advances the day, date, month, and yr with the transfer from December to January.

The AP1000 calibre that drives the brand new Code 11.59 Universelle Extremely-Complication RD#4 is regulated by a flying tourbillon and requires a separate and in depth chapter to explain this motion intimately. It includes 1,155 parts, is constructed utilizing 90 jewels, beats at 21,600 vph and has an influence reserve of 64 hours drawing from the bigger fundamental barrel, with acoustic capabilities getting vitality from a separate devoted barrel, as already talked about. It’s a “combine” of earlier AP applied sciences with improvements that made the motion comparatively compact. The motion is completed to the identical highest requirements as we all know AP to excel at, with each element performing its process completely, be it technical, aesthetical, or each.

This AP1000 motion, and the watch as an entire, epitomises AP’s previous and future. The Code 11.59 Universelle Extremely-Complication RD#4 just isn’t an train or a show-off piece to exhibit the capabilities and prowess; the model’s communication couldn’t spotlight the user-friendliness and wearability any stronger, and Giulio Papi reportedly admitted the watch could possibly be taken swimming (water resistant to 20m). With a price ticket of CHF 1,45 million for the most cost effective variants, one could be loopy to strive. Do you have to strive, why not write to us to share your expertise?

The brand new Code 11.59 Universelle Extremely-Complication RD#4 is obtainable on a black alligator strap with a gold AP folding clasp and a further black textured rubber-coated calfskin strap. No info as as to whether it is a restricted version, so to plan an appointment, go to www.audemarspiguet.com.