Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Bolshoi Limited Edition
When Audemars Piguet launched the Code 11.59 last year, the best looking of the collection were the two watches with smoked enamel dials, which were the minute repeater and flying tourbillon. The base models, on the other hand, were plain and looked a bit flat.
But as proof that dial colours and shading are as important as design, the Code 11.59 Bolshoi Limited Edition is the three-hand base model, but with a smoked blue enamel dial – and it is a good looking watch, with the downside of a substantial price premium for the enamel dial.
Launched in November 2019 to mark the 10th anniversary of Audemars Piguet’s sponsorship of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, the parent organisation of the world-famous Bolshoi Ballet, the Code 11.59 Bolshoi edition was a limited edition of 99 pieces. And it’s the only base-model Code 11.59 with an enamel (or smoked-finish) dial to date, though that might change in the future.
Smoked and grand feu
The dial is a splendid piece of craftsmanship. It has the same look that other brands usually execute with lacquer, but instead in fired enamel.
A rich, compelling blue at the centre, the dial darks towards the edges, with an even graduation of tone around the dial. Such an effect is achieved not with darker enamel, but a slightly thicker layer of enamel at the edges.
The raised flange for the minute numerals is black lacquered, rather than enamel, but the colour matches the dial well, resulting in an almost-seamless transition from dial to flange
The case
As emphasised during the launch of the Code 11.59, the case is complex, finely finished, and one of the crucial elements of the Code 11.59. That is all true, but much of the case quality isn’t apparently unless examined up close.
The case is essentially a sandwich, with a round bezel and back containing an octagonal case middle. The lugs are skeletonised and attached only to the bezel; they barely touch the case back.
The construction allows for significant fine finishing of the case, including polished bevels on the inner edges of the skeletonised lugs, polished countersinks for the lugs screws (which have octagonal heads), as well as polished top and bottom edges for the octagonal case middle. And all the polished edges sit next to brushed surfaces, separated by a sharply defined border between the two.
All of that is impressive – in fact, the quality of finishing is on par with a Royal Oak – but excessive for a round case, since much of the detail will go unnoticed, for two reasons. One is the fact that the case looks like a simple round case at a glance, and also because the Code 11.59 received so much flak when it was launched. That is unfortunate.
The downside of the case construction is obvious when you examine it up close – it traps dirt easily, and is difficult to clean. Some of the dirt looks like it can only be removed by disassembling the case and tossing the parts into an ultrasonic cleaner.
The movement
From a strategic and technical perspective, the Code 11.59 was notable for being the first models to feature the latest-generation Audemars Piguet movements – the cal. 4302 for the three-hander with date, and the cal. 4400 for the chronograph.
Made on a newly-set up production line, the two movements have the same basic architecture, and will no doubt underpin the Audemars Piguet model range in time to come
The Bolshoi edition is powered by the cal. 4302, a large movement with a sophisticated construction that was no doubt conceived to be a high-end, workhorse calibre for men’s watches.
The cal. 4302 is a notably big movement, measuring 32 mm in diameter, and also complex for a three-hands-and-date set up, with a total part count of 257. Compare that to the 25.6 mm and 160-ish parts of an ETA 2892-A2, and you get an idea of the size and complexity of the cal. 4302.
Both the scale and elaborate construction can be discerned from the details of the movement, which are all typical of a movement designed for stable timekeeping.
Visually, the movement is typical of Audemars Piguet. The decoration is clean, sharp, and a mix of machine- and hand-applied finishing.
The bevelling on the bridges, for instance, is done by a CNC milling machine, with the flat, defined bevels showing faint machining marks. But the bevelling on the gold rotor is done by hand, as obvious from the domed bevels and sharp, inward corners on the inner edges of the rotor.
Another element of the decoration that stands out is the perlage on the base plate. Positioned neatly and evenly, the individual spots is unusually small and fine relative to the size of the movement, which means it takes more time to apply compared to larger spots.
Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Self-winding Bolshoi Limited Edition
Ref. 15210BC.OO.A321CR.99
Case diameter: 41 mm
Case height: 10.7 mm
Material: 18k white gold
Water resistance: 30 m
Movement: Cal. 4302
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, and date
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz)
Winding: Automatic
Power reserve: 70 hours
Strap: Alligator with pin buckle
Limited edition: 99 pieces
Availability: Only at Audemars Piguet boutiques
Price: US$41,300
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