Swiss Haute Horlogerie manufacturer Audemars Piguet reveal two new takes on the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon. Their new dial design combines the refinement of enamel with the shimmering of aventurine glass for a unique effect of star-lit sky.
To complement the collection’s complex architecture and countless details, the Manufacture’s dial makers have covered the timepiece’s gold dial with a blend of crushed aventurine glass and “Grand Feu” enamel for an expressive touch of creativity.
Each “Grand Feu” enamel dial is unique due to the organic nature of its materials, as well as the hand manufacturing technique and distinctive cooking time. A very thin layer of glass sand mixed with water is applied by hand on the crushed aventurine glass, before being heated at more than 800°C in a dedicated oven. The procedure is repeated multiple times to achieve remarkable transparency, depth and light. Each cooking session necessitates different temperatures and times.
The first new model featuring a black aventurine enamel dial serving as backdrop to hand-finished 18-carat pink gold hour-markers, Arabic numerals and hands, is illuminated by an 18-carat pink gold case. The flying tourbillon cage located at 6 o’clock also presents a subtle pink gold-toned touch. The complex double curved sapphire crystal, which perfectly integrates the curvature of the extra-thin bezel, magnifies the dial’s night sky effect by adding a mesmerising play of light. The collection’s dedicated openworked oscillating weight, visible through the sapphire caseback, is honed from 22-carat pink gold and echoes the case’s colour.
The second variation of the new Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon unites a blue aventurine enamel dial with a case, hour-markers, Arabic numerals and hands in 18-carat white gold, entirely hand-finished throughout. The dial is further endowed with a smoked effect for added depth and refinement. This gradation is achieved by incorporating blue and black aventurine glass into the enamel. The rhodium-toned flying tourbillon cage at 6 o’clock echoes the bright tonality of the watch’s white gold case.
To further match with the case’s colour, the openworked oscillating weight, visible through the sapphire caseback, is made in rhodium-toned 22-carat pink gold. The two models’ gold cases are adorned with an alternation of satin-brushed and polished surfaces highlighting the watch’s multifaceted architecture. Only a small team of finishing experts have the necessary experience to decorate the collection’s complex case that weaves together an extra-thin bezel, an octagonal middle case, a round caseback and highly stylised lugs.
The two new takes on the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon are powered by Selfwinding Manufacture calibre 2950, which combines a flying tourbillon with a central rotor. Since it was developed in the 1920s, the flying tourbillon has been a symbol of watchmaking excellence and art. Today, Audemars Piguet is amongst the few watchmakers trained to perfect this mechanism. Audemars Piguet’s first flying tourbillon wristwatch made its appearance in 2018 in the Royal Oak Concept collection. The Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet represents the Manufacture’s second collection to host this prestigious mechanism.
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