SIHH 2019: Is Code 11.59 set to join the ranks of other Audemars Piguet icons?

Days ahead of SIHH, Audemars Piguet offered a sneak preview of a highly anticipated collection that met with mixed reviews.

One of the most ambitious undertakings by the brand in terms of scope and volume, Code 11.59 represents an entirely new design with 13 new references, six new models and three brand new calibres ranging from the simple to the ultra-complicated.

However, Michael Friedman, historian at Audemars Piguet, who knows a thing or two about what makes an icon, is fully behind this new design. Friedman believes all it will take for the Code 11.59 to join the legendary ranks of Audemars Piguet icons Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore is a little time.

“It’s been an amazing ride, one with controversy, with divisiveness with different opinion, different viewpoints. For me, the beautiful thing to see, to happen, is for people to see and analyse the watch. We’ve had a phenomenal response on the perpetual calendar, the minute repeater especially. ”

Friedman says he remains delighted by the detail and craftsmanship that’s been put into the timepiece.

“I’ve seen the development of the watch since the very beginning, but it still continues to surprise me to this day, and I’m still discovering new design details that I hadn’t noticed before,” he says.

The Code 11.59 is indeed loaded with small details, which require a face-to-face encounter to truly appreciate. The round piece’s octagonal middle case, a shape that has become practically synonymous with the house, is a nod to the Royal Oak.