Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Ultra-Complication Universelle RD#4

Quick specs Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Ultra-Complication Universelle RD#4
Price: CHF 1’600,000 | approx. € 1.649.000 | approx. $ 1,767,000 | approx. £ 1,421,000 (all excluding taxes)
Size: 42 mm
Reference: 26398BC.OO.D002CR.01 (white gold, black dial) | 26398BC.OO.D002CR.04 (white gold, beige dial) | 26398BC.OO.D002CR.02 (white gold, open dial) | 26398OR.OO.D002CR.01 (pink gold, open dial)

The Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Ultra-Complication Universelle RD#4 timepiece is all about numbers. Here we go. It took 7 years to develop, it has 23 complications with 40 different functions and uses 17 technical devices. The automatic caliber is 34.3 millimeters in diameter, has 1,140 components, 90 jewels and delivers 64 hours of power reserve. No, there is no mathematical formula that leads to 11.59 but is an overall extraordinary kind of watch that is considered as the very first ultra-complicated automatic wristwatch of the AP.

The Code 11.59 collection of AP was revealed in 2019, when they were already working on this RD#4. 11.59 is a kind of an acronym for the last minute of the day before a brand new one starts. And with AP it also means the special moment a new day, or process or design breaks through. In short, the collection Code 11.59 contains all non-Royal Oak-ish models so far.

The Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Ultra-Complication Universelle RD#4 comes in four versions

When it comes to the Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Ultra-Complication Universelle RD#4 there are four versions: three with a white gold and one with a pink gold case, all 42 millimeters. Now for the dial you can chose from black, beige or open-worked as it comes to the white gold versions. The pink gold is only available with an open-worked dial. Let’s take a look at the most special complications and functions.

First we start with its sounds. It has a grande sonnerie, a petite sonnerie, a silence mode and a minute repeater. For the latter you can use a pusher to activate it. The grande sonnerie, also called a quarter striking mechanism, strikes the hours and quarters that have past, and it does that every quarter. The petite sonnerie only chimes the number of hours at each hour. You can also silence both completely. The minute repeater can be activated on demand: it will chime the hours, and number of quarters and number of minutes that have past. To provide enough power to the watch and these complications, the grande sonnerie has its own barrel to store energy. And it bears some extra safety functions and functions to adjust things like the strike speed and regularization of the silence.

After setting everything right the calendar of the RD#4 needs adjustment again in the year 2400

The next number of impressive complications of the Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Ultra-Complication Universelle RD#4 is the semi-Gregorian perpetual calendar. It offers the day, large date, month, year, astronomical moon and moon phase. To correct the moon phase it has a dedicated pusher. By the way, there are no miniscule correctors/pusher that must be operated by pushing it with a hard, sharp object like most watches with calendar complications have. The RD#4 has it all captured in pushers on the left side of the case and three crowns with coaxial pushers on the right side.

Any complications left to be noted? Yes, the rattrapante flyback chronograph, so split-seconds, hours and minutes counter. And there is a flying tourbillon as well. If you add all aforementioned complications plus some add-ons to those, you will come to 23. They are all fitted in and on the new AP caliber 1000, an ultra-complicated self-winding movement. It has 1,140 parts, and even 15 more if you have the open-worked version, and delivers a power reserve of 64 hours. The open-worked versions reveal a part of the movement on the front of the time piece. However, you can also admire it from the back if you open the case back.

An exceptional watch like the Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Ultra-Complication Universelle RD#4 comes with a price: it retails for CHF 1’600,000 excluding taxes.