Creative Couples on the Cusp of a New Day

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The new Haute Horlogerie collection Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet shines a spotlight on the pivotal time before a project comes to fruition. Two young creative couples who collaborate in both work and life share the experiences of their 11.59 moments.

Victoria Tang-Owen and Christopher Owen

Hong Kong power couple Victoria Tang-Owen and Christopher Owen founded Thirty30 Creative when they turned 30. A graphic designer, photographer and the new creative director of Shanghai Tang, the lifestyle brand founded by her father Sir David Tang, Victoria is the right-brain head of the company. Christopher, who previously worked as a lawyer in London, is a methodical and creative thinker and serves as the left brain. By formulating strategies, and managing projects and client relationships, he gives the right-brainers the freedom to be creative and takes the pressure off them.

The Owens’ complementary skill sets are the secret to their success. “Every part of our team is like a jigsaw piece that comes together and they all fall into place at 11.59,” says Christopher. “11.59 is that moment where all the anticipation is leading. You don’t want to forget the story that came before and everything that built up to it. All the hard work, blood, sweat and tears that go into a project happened before 11.59.” To that, Victoria adds: “I enjoy the moment before completion. It’s something being born, something you have created.”

Zoe Chan Eayrs and Merlin Eayrs

British wife-and-husband architects Zoe Chan Eayrs and Merlin Eayrs craft bespoke homes from the ground up, inhabiting the spaces as they create them, making each project a life journey. The rising stars, lauded for their exacting architectural vision, have completed four innovative projects in London within four years. They include the reinterpretation of a Huguenot townhouse in Spitalfields and most recently the transformation of a shoe factory in Shoreditch into a luxurious loft. Called the Beldi, the loft retains its original Crittall windows, while a pistachio palette references the green views outside, exemplifying the couple’s sensitive approach to design. For their next project, the founders of Chan + Eayrs are already scoping out new sites in Cornwall.

How does the 11.59 moment – when an interior is ready to be revealed – feel? “You start to feel a sense of stillness and calm,” says Zoe. “You are going to ease into it. You are not going straight for the big 11.59. An 11.59 moment for us is when we are on the cusp of finishing a project. Where all of those puzzle pieces fall into place and you can sit back and enjoy,” adds her husband.

Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet

With its acronym standing for Challenge, Own, Dare and Evolve, Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet embodies the independent Swiss Haute Horlogerie watchmaker’s genetic code and audacious spirit. The contemporary evolution of a classic, this collection gives a contemporary twist and a certain edginess to the classic round watch, while carrying the Manufacture’s long history of unconventional form and design languages.

Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet is above all about human challenge. It tells the stories of Audemars Piguet’s craftspeople and engineers who developed new tools, skills and techniques, consistently pushing their own limits to reach an exceptional degree of technical and aesthetic complexity.

Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet has been consciously designed for both men and women.  Although measuring 41mm in diameter, this ergonomic watch adapts to different wrist sizes. “I like big unisex watches. I like Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet with its clean and rich dial that is not too decorative. It’s very difficult to do simple luxury watches, and Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet strikes a fine balance between the two. As a designer, I really appreciate the expertise that goes into the creative concept and how the watch becomes reality – the whole journey from idea to building the watch part by part,” comments Victoria.

Christopher shares the same aesthetic sentiment as his wife. “For me, of course, the aesthetic value of a watch is the first thing that appeals, but the real value comes from an appreciation of the craftsmanship and skill that go into the design, tooling and the making of these fine pieces.”

The Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet collection comes with 13 references, including five complications and six movements of the latest generation. The Eayrs and Owens are particularly taken with the 18-carat white or pink gold selfwinding model equipped with the new Manufacture calibre 4302, as well as with the selfwinding chronograph powered by the new Manufacture calibre 4401, an integrated chronograph with column wheel and flyback function.

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