Audemars Piguet’s Most Underrated Watch Becomes Precious
Audemars Piguet’s most underrated watch, the Code 11.59, just got stoned for its birthday.
To continue its celebration of the brand's 150-year anniversary, AP dropped a trio of Code 11.59 Flying Tourbillons with dials carved from natural stones — ruby root, sodalite, and malachite — each matched to a precious metal case that lets the dial do the talking.
It’s an opulent but quiet statement, proof that the Code isn’t just AP’s design playground.
Since its debut, the Code 11.59 has been polarizing. It didn’t have the Royal Oak’s clout or the Offshore’s presence.
But that was the point, this was the first collection in decades not bound by master watchmaker Gérald Genta’s shadow, built instead around curved crystals, ultra-thin tourbillons, and movements that took years to miniaturize.
The Code was never supposed to be a hype machine. And arguably, it’s where AP sketches out what a post-Royal Oak future might actually look like.
And this drop makes the case beautifully compact.
The 38mm size is smaller than most tourbillon watches, a coveted fit for anyone who says they prefer to wear their watches under the cuff unironically or who’s just leaning into the small-watch wave, tackling a concern curious AP fans had about the Code’s large wrist presence.
Stone dials are having a moment right now. From Bulgari’s marble Octos to Rolex’s jades and jaspers, hard materials are back in the spotlight. AP’s take is on-trend, yes, but also rooted in history. The brand’s been cutting stone dials since the 1960s, long before it was a For You Page keyword.
Each of the three tourbillons is limited to 150 pieces and priced at CHF 140,000, or about $158,000 over at Audemars Piguet.
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