Luxury Of Time

“Ordinary people think merely of spending time, great people think of using it.”

- Arthur Schopenhauer -

The Gift of Time

Be it minutes, hours, weeks or months, time is the only currency that matters when it comes to crafting these unique creations.

By CELINE YAP AND HAZEL VINCENT DE PAUL

8 The number of years taken by Audemars Piguet to conceptualise and produce the Code 11:59 collection

The first new family of wristwatches from Audemars Piguet in almost half a century, the Code 11:59 collection was greeted with its fair share of controversy upon its launch at the annual Salon de la Haute Horlogerie in January 2019.

The collection’s name plays on the minute before midnight – when the old passes on to give way to the new, alluding to the brand’s forward-thinking ideology. Comprising 13 models, five complications and six calibres – three of which are new – the collection took three years to conceptualise and another five to make, and marks many firsts for the legendary watchmaker.

Not only is there an octagonal middle case embedded within the round case, the upper part of the open-worked lugs is welded to the extremely thin bezel. In order to weld the lugs successfully, the watchmaker had to create new processes that defied traditional production standards.

Another stunning highlight is its double-curved sapphire crystal surface. While the internal surface is shaped like a dome, its exterior is vertically curved from six to 12 o’ clock, beautifully extending from edge to edge and integrating with the ultra-thin bezel. The glare-proof crystal also plays with light, depth and perspective, creating a unique optical experience for the wearer. Additionally, the case has been adjusted to suit different wrist sizes.