Audemars Piguet has released a new line of watches that are getting scrutinized by the luxury watch community. After all, its iconic Royal Oak has become the de facto bar set for this luxury timepiece maker. That watch, designed by the brilliant and forward-thinking Gerald Genta, debuted in 1972 and saved the company from financial ruin.
Today, new watches are being designed and released for collectors to enjoy. A new line of AP watches that have been in development for several years now goes under the name Code 11.59. This line contains a range of watches that get their name from the minute just before noon.
To see how this new line compared with the iconic Royal Oak, we first need to inspect the case. First, we will notice that there are broad dials that reach out to a very narrow bezel. The cases themselves are made in a variety of precious metals, such as rose gold. The ensures there is something for every person's unique taste. Everything is perfectly legible on the face. There is even an interesting "hall of mirrors" effect that you get when you view this Audemars Piguet watches from an angle.
Each one of the AP watches in the new collection has a gender-neutral 41mmm. As for the chronograph, there is a novel self-winding flyback movement that is the first of its kind for this watchmaker.
Each watch in the Code 11.59 line is sure to become an integral part of the Audemars Piguet brand for a long time to come. Collectors are already looking to pick up these AP watches as fast as they can. Each Audemars Piguet watch in the new line retails at $42,400.
When it comes to Audemars Piguet NYC is a hotbed for watches made by this watchmaker. However, several other solid competitors have released their timepieces recently that coincidence with the release of the Code 11.59 line.
IWC Schaffhausen has debuted its Spitfire collection, including the bronze Pilot's Watch Chronograph that retails for $6,250. Not to be outdone, Breitling has also released a watch of its own, which is the Navitimer Red. 806 1959 Re-Edition. This timepiece has a vintage look to it, sporting a beaded bezel and small second, 30 minutes, and 12-hour counters. All of these get stuff into a tachymeter that has quite a bit going on. The steel version of this watch costs $8.600. A third competitor to the Code 11.59 line of AP watches is the Heritage Spirit Pulsograph by Montblanc. This watch features a salmon dial and has a monopusher movement. The retail for this luxury timepiece of $31,800.
As solid as these competing watches may be, the Code 11.59 line by Audemars Piguet is still a more appealing choice for many watch collectors and enthusiasts today. Hopefully, you will be able to get your hands on one before it is hard to find.