Infatuated By The New 41mm Code 11.59 By Audemars Piguet Selfwinding With A Gray Dial

The “Code” is growing on me. It wasn’t exactly love at first sight, to put it mildly. Still, with time and, more importantly, some much-needed significant cosmetic changes, I’m warming up to the watch that wasn’t just hindered by a seemingly lazy dial design and somewhat ridiculous name. Last year, I had a most pleasant experience with an automatic model in pink gold with a blue dial, and this year, things got even more intense when I encountered the new 41mm Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Selfwinding in gray. Man, this steel three-hander’s got the looks. But it also has some je ne sais quois that has me contemplating the Code. Could it be an entry point into the AP universe, or do you always need to start with a Royal Oak? It’s just one of the questions I’m still trying to find an answer to.

Let’s explore the watch before pondering the eventual acquisition of a Code and its possible consequences. The Code has come a long way since its 2019 debut. The three-hand Selfwinding, especially, has undergone a remarkable metamorphosis. It went from an ugly duckling to something closer to a swan. The various bland dials with four lonesome Arabic numerals, off-balance 4:30 date window, and alarmingly skinny hands are all gone. Indexes have taken over, the date moved to 3 o’clock, the hands have been replaced with more voluptuous, skeletonized ones, and the dials now show a dynamic pattern you could mistake for guilloché. Instead, it’s a stamped dial with a ripple pattern. “Stamped” sounds less luxurious than “guilloché,” but the pattern designed by Yann von Kaenel, an independent engine-turning specialist, does look rich and luscious. The new 41mm Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Selfwinding in gray is the best version yet.

The 41mm three-hander that made me fall in love in 2024

The 41mm Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Selfwinding from all angles

Last year, I was smitten by 41mm pink gold Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Selfwinding pictured above. Two things stood in the way of a possible purchase, though. Reference 15210OR.OO.A348KB.01 has a lofty €35,600 price (the most hindering obstacle by far), and I believe rose gold and blue, while attractive, are not a combination I would enjoy for a long time.

There were, however, so many elements that struck a chord — the proportions, for instance. The 41 × 50 × 10.7mm case perfectly suits my wrist. The construction of the said case is also quite something. You will only experience and fully enjoy it when you handle the watch in real life; in pictures, it just doesn’t come across. The case is like a sandwich in which the bezel and the back hold the octagonal mid-case. The open-worked lugs are welded against the bezel; they touch the case back but are not welded to it. Importantly, the brushed and polished finishing of the case and lugs is at a very high level, and so are details like the hexagonal screws for the strap.

Another element that sets the Code apart is the double-curved crystal. Its shape mixes a classic convex circle on the underside and a vertical curve from 12 to 6 o’clock on the top. The crystal simultaneously offers an undeformed view of the dial from the top and, at some angles, puts on a show of magical distortion. But when you see a frontal picture of a Code, its case’s complicated construction and execution and the dynamically shaped crystal go unnoticed, leading to an almost instant misunderstanding and underestimation of the watch.

The new gray-dial 41mm Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Selfwinding

This Code is giving me Tetris Syndrome

Since I wore the new gray Code during the 150th-anniversary celebrations earlier this year at the Audemars Piguet HQ in Le Brassus, this watch has been on my mind. This steel Code is giving me a mild form of Tetris Syndrome. This effect or syndrome, named after the famous video game, can occur when you dedicate vast amounts of time, effort, and thoughts to something. As a result, the preoccupation with that thing — in this case, a watch — can lead to it altering thoughts, (day)dreams, and other experiences not directly linked to it. The gray Code keeps popping up in my thoughts at unexpected moments, and I keep wondering what would happen if I acquired one. At the same time, however, I can’t quite visualize myself owning and wearing one.

The material aspects of the watch don’t seem to stand in the way of me manifesting the watch on my wrist. Not only are the proportions just right, but so are the colors. The gray is serious yet fresh and sporty as well. It’s informal, but the stamped, ripple-like pattern also gives it a dose of formal gravitas. And then there’s the “Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50” flange. Not only is this an iconic “AP” shade, but there is also just enough of it on the elevated flange to brighten the gray dial.

Dressed for the occasion

The three-hand Code is the perfect everyday watch for this day and age. The irritatingly vague dress codes “casual chic” and “business casual” suddenly make perfect sense when you look at this watch. It offers a classic shape with a twist in a contemporary size and with a strap that is the equivalent of hand-made sneakers. This gray rubber-coated strap, which has a 22–20mm taper and shows a delicate texture, is sporty and elegant. The strap ties the Code 11.59 together, so to speak. It helps match the watch with a Hawaiian, denim, button-down, or dress shirt. The pin buckle AP decided to use also deserves a mention and praise. It’s a well-made and easy-to-use alternative to a needlessly complicated folding clasp that gives you a false sense of luxury.

A Code 11.59 instead of a Royal Oak — is that even possible?

So, where does my hesitation for acquiring the gray-dial Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Selfwinding come from? Well, first, there’s the price. You don’t spend €26,600 on a watch on a whim. Well, I sure don’t. There’s also the matter of other watches in the AP collection. Can your first AP be something else than a Royal Oak? When looking at comparable prices, it’s slim pickings. There’s the 37mm Royal Oak Selfwinding ref. 15550ST.OO.1356ST.06, a watch that is reasonably close in price. But when I spend €27,300 on a Royal Oak, a watch with iconic status, I don’t want to constantly feel like it’s too small for my wrist. I know that will happen because I tried it on, and it didn’t feel right.

Theoretical vs. practical

Sizing and pricing up to the 41mm Royal Oak Selfwinding ref. 15510ST.OO.1320ST.06 is also not an option. That €28,500 watch is not just too big, but it also constantly tells you the Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin ref. 16202ST.OO.1240ST.02 is “The One.” It’s also a watch with a theoretical price of €35,900. The practical Chrono24 price of this unavailable watch is, on average, €30K higher.

What about the Royal Oak Offshore Diver ref. 15720ST.OO.A009CA.01? Yes, I’ve had a soft spot for the “ROO” Diver ever since it came out. But the bulky €30,300 dive watch is also limited. It’s not exactly a versatile timepiece that goes well with anything and never looks out of place. And that leads me back to the new 41mm Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Selfwinding. With its gray dial, blue flange, and darker gray strap, this watch perfectly fits my wrist and wardrobe. I’m also more than happy with the 257-part automatic caliber 4302 that beats inside the case. This in-house 4Hz movement offers a 70-hour power reserve, and it’s nicely decorated, as the see-through case back reveals.

The heart wants what the heart wants

There you have it. After looking at it from multiple perspectives and angles, the new Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Selfwinding in gray is the perfect watch for me. It’s weird to fall for a watch you went from disliking to loving and desiring, being willing to spend a small fortune on it, and ignoring an icon like the Royal Oak. I might need more time before the steel and gray Code and I tie the knot, but the love between us is much more than an infatuation; there’s real love here. Say what you will in the comments; I don’t care. Also, deep down, you know that the watch-loving heart wants what the watch-loving heart wants, and there’s little, maybe nothing, you can do about it.