Audemars Piguet has become synonymous in the minds of many enthusiasts with the Royal Oak and its bigger, brasher spin-off, the Offshore, which turns 30 this year. But this release is a reminder that it became an incontrovertible member of the trinity by being nothing less than one of the greatest complication makers in the history of watchmaking. The Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Universelle RD#4 is the latest in the series of watches dedicated to building on an existing vocabulary of complications and pushing them in new directions. Developed over a period of seven years, the RD#4 isn’t just a grand complication but also one with an incredible number of technical solutions that drastically simplify user experience.
The watch was inspired by the L’Universelle pocket watch movement made by Audemars Piguet in 1899 for German watchmaker Dürrstein, Uhrenfabrik Union Glashütte. Among its 26 functions were a carillon grande and petite sonnerie perpetual calendar, split seconds, jumping second and deadbeat second chronograph. It was delivered as part of a trilogy, but, for many years, it was the only completed piece in the series. It is regarded by many as a rival to the Henry Graves Supercomplication and has become the centerpiece of the Audemars Piguet museum today.
Traditionally, a grand complication refers to a watch that combines three types of complications — calendrical, chiming and timing. However,
