CODE 11.59 by AUDEMARS PIGUET Full Analysis

Audemars Piguet Watchmaking Unconventional

A completely new Audemars Piguet that combines various forms and details in a simple round case with just the right amount of curvature. The collection named "CODE 11.59 by Audemars Piguet" has the mission of developing a new generation of users, so there may be many enthusiastic Audemars Piguet followers who are confused by the unfamiliar shape. However, if you unravel the “codes” hidden in the details one by one, you will realize that it is a legitimate successor to the bloodline of Audemars Piguet.

A completely new collection “CODE 11.59 by Audemars Piguet” (Code 11.59 below) that first appeared at SIHH 2019. It was around 2016 that the specific design concept started, with the possibility of installing a next-generation core movement, which the basic development had started in October 2012. François-Henri Benamias, the current CEO of Audemars Piguet, was the driving force behind the development project, which took many years just to conceive. In May 2012, Benamias took over as interim CEO of the company, and immediately "confined" a team of about 40 top-class people, consisting of in-house supply chain staff, engineers, designers, and watchmakers, in a conference room. It is said that thorough brainstorming was carried out in a tense atmosphere without any break in the middle. Among the ideas that emerged from these circumstances was the development of a new core movement to replace the caliber 3120, which has undergone repeated aging and improvements since its first appearance in 2003. Items such as the development of a body-shaped chronograph and the creation of a completely new styling with a different personality from the Royal Oak were listed. Code 11.59 is truly the culmination of a project that looks beyond its current success.

The name, which connects Challenge, Own, Dare, and Evolve, is a unique metaphor for code that is frequently used by new generations on social media. 11.59 means 23:59, when the new day will come in one minute. The mission imposed there is to appeal to and cultivate new customer segments. However, the first delivery to directly managed stores in each country, which started in early February immediately after the announcement, was almost sold out. More than half of the customers who get Code 11.59 are new users who have never touched Audemars Piguet's products, so it's safe to say that the company's strategy has been a resounding success. This trend is not limited to the Japanese market, but the same trend can be seen all over the world.