Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Ultra Complication Universelle RD#4
While paying tribute to the legacy of high complications, the Ultra-Complication Universelle RD#4 has been crafted with ergonomics and contemporary usage in mind. Share
More than a century after the production of its ultra-complicated Universelle pocket watch, Swiss Haute Horlogerie manufacturer Audemars Piguet is delighted to introduce its very first ultra-complicated selfwinding wristwatch (RD#4) in the highly contemporary design of the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet collection. This new creation regroups the Manufacture’s horological savoir-faire into a single movement, the selfwinding Calibre 1000, which counts over 1,100 components.
A feat of engineering and fine watchmaking tradition, this pioneering mechanism builds on three generations of R&D innovations and incorporates 40 functions, including 23 complications, among which a Grande Sonnerie Supersonnerie, a minute repeater, a perpetual calendar, a split-seconds flyback chronograph and a flying tourbillon. Engineers, designers, watchmakers and craftspeople worked hand in hand for over 7 years to bring this RD#4 timepiece to life, continuously broadening their skills to push the limits of Haute Horlogerie craftsmanship to new heights.
The project debuted in 2016 with the goal of developing a highly complicated wristwatch fit for everyday use that would strike the right balance between complexity, ergonomics and aesthetics. Going beyond traditional norms of construction, the teams blurred the line between movement and case by developing ergonomic correctors and crown-pushers allowing users to activate the watch’s multiple functions with ease.
Seven years on, Calibre 1000 sees the light of day in the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet collection—itself an uncompromising bridge between past and future, classic and contemporary. While the case has retained both the ergonomic curvature and design codes of the collection, its proportions have been slightly adapted to fit this ultra-complicated mechanism. This new case measuring only 42 mm in diameter (instead of 41 mm) and 15.55 mm in thickness represents a real feat of engineering.
A creative canvas of design exploration and expression, the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet collection offers myriads of technical and aesthetic possibilities. Its multifaceted case represents one of the most complex ever crafted by the Manufacture with its double curved sapphire crystal, extra-thin bezel, stylised lugs, octagonal case middle and round caseback—a perfect match for Calibre 1000.
The Manufacture pushed the complexity of this multidimensional case a step further with the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Ultra-Complication Universelle RD#4. Numerous technical developments were necessary to offer unprecedented ergonomics, comfort and simplicity of use to the wearer, while retaining the collection’s refined aesthetic codes. A total of six easy-to-use crowns and pushers are evenly balanced around the case middle, subtly echoing the piece’s rounded geometries.
The timepiece also boasts for the first time a “secret” gold caseback that amplifies the watch’s acoustic performance when worn, and reveals the beauty of the mechanism thanks to the new Supersonnerie sapphire soundboard, once opened. The insertion of Calibre 1000 has also led to a slight increase in the watch’s diameter and thickness (42 mm x 15.55 mm) compared to other models in the collection—a feat of engineering for a selfwinding ultra-complicated wristwatch.
The case’s angular and rounded surfaces have been finished by hand with the Manufacture’s trademark alternation of satin brushing and polished chamfers, providing endless plays of light.
