Code Talkers: Audemars Piguet is Winding Down 2026 with Code 11.59 Models

There are still almost two months left in the year, but it’s never too early to start reflecting on 2026. And while many groundbreaking individual timepieces debuted this year, today we wanted to check in on the state of a single collection by Audemars Piguet: the Code 11.59.

The Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon 41mm

You may still remember the heated online discourse from when AP launched the Code 11.59 in 2019. But those controversial design codes have proven to be a fantastic laboratory for the brand’s watchmakers to experiment with materials, colors, and extremely complicated movements.

In fact, an excellent example of this evolution is the collection’s new Minute Repeater Supersonnerie (which we covered last week). But that’s not all the Code 11.59 has to crow about in 2026.

The Code 11.59 Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon 41mm may not be the first flying tourbillon-equipped watch in the Code canon, but it’s an excellent example of how AP is using the collection to explore different facets of the manufacture’s watchmaking prowess.

Its case combines a black ceramic middle case with a 18K white gold bezel, caseback, and lugs. A “stamped” beige dial features pink gold hour markers and luminescent hands. These elements all underline the Code 11.59’s architectural design signatures. Moreover, these details provide the perfect framework to showcase the Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon’s mechanical construction.

Placed at the 6 o’clock position on the dial, the flying tourbillon is mounted from below, leaving the rotating mechanism more exposed on the dial side. Additionally, through the sapphire caseback, one can admire the self-winding Calibre 2950 movement, which consists of 270 components and 27 jewels. It operates at 21,600 vibrations per hour and offers a 65-hour power reserve.

Whatever you may have thought about the Code when it came out, you must admire the fact that AP has never strayed far from the original brief of bringing technical mastery and meticulous craftsmanship to the fore.

This edition showcases a few of the Code’s many refinements along the way. For example, the dial’s decoration – composed of concentric circles and enhanced through PVD coloring – was developed in collaboration with Swiss guilloché artisan Yann von Kaenel in 2023. And, for another example, its movement, which first appeared in the Royal Oak Concept collection in 2018, debuted in the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet in 2019.

The Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Selfwinding 38mm

The Code 11.59 Selfwinding 38mm is another excellent example of how small changes can open new avenues for aesthetics. AP first launched its smaller-scale Selfwinding 38mm in 2023. Now the Maison’s designers are playing with color and contrast to lend this smaller size more wrist presence.

These two, three-handers, both crafted in 18-carat pink gold, use contrast to create a more elegant aesthetic than other references in the 11.59 family. In the past, time-only Codes were criticized because the simplicity of their display didn’t quite marry with the more avant-garde case profile. But as the collection has matured, its entry-level timepiece has become bolder, using color and contrast.

The first reference is dark and intense, featuring a black dial paired with an alligator strap. The second model is light and luminous, with a silver-toned dial complemented by a brand-new brown calfskin strap with white stitching.

Both dials display the collection’s signature motif: concentric circles that evoke ripples on water. And both are powered by Calibre 5900, the Manufacture’s latest-generation self-winding movement, which combines slenderness (3.9mm), high frequency (4Hz), and a power reserve of 60 hours.

The sapphire caseback reveals the dedicated 22-carat pink gold oscillating weight and refined decorations including polished angles, vertical satin brushing, Côtes de Genève, perlage, and chamfering.

These new Selfwinding 38mm models also speak to the holistic approach Audemars has taken to growing the Code 11.59 collection. The original case concept, with its glare-proofed double-curved sapphire crystal, divided so many opinions in 2019. But AP has stuck to its guns and proven the structure is versatile enough to support super complications and simply elegant iterations.

The Code 11.59 Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar Openworked 41mm

To further demonstrate the faith AP has in the Code 11.59, the brand launched a brand-new calibre – the 7139 – in the Code 11.59 Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar Openworked 41mm.

 

This timepiece marks a major design and technical milestone for the collection. Like the Selfwinding 38mm, this new QP’s case blends sophistication with high-tech black ceramic.

The watch’s architecture is enhanced with a round, extra-thin white gold bezel and caseback, while an octagonal black ceramic middle case supports its multifaceted design. These ceramic and gold components feature alternating satin brushing and polished chamfers.

But the big story is Audemars Piguet’s new openworked perpetual calendar movement. The Calibre 7139. This calibre automatically accounts for the varying length of months and leap years, displaying the date and week with flawless precision. Assuming the watch is kept fully wound, the date will only require manual correction in the year 2100 to align with the Gregorian calendar.

The Calibre 7139 is also equipped with the patented crown correction system launched last year with Calibre 7138. Developed by AP engineers to streamline the case design and simplify corrections, this intuitive all-in-one crown is used for the first time with an openworked mechanism.

If the mix of gold and ceramic provides contrast, the Calibre 7139 is all about the convergence of tradition and innovation. This movement features a non-magnetic balance spring, which resists temperature variations and shocks while delivering optimal chronometric performance.

This hairspring is fitted to the balance wheel by hand by two highly skilled artisans with over 20 years of experience. This rare craft is typically reserved for movements produced in very small quantities, making the Calibre 7139 one of the few production calibres that preserve this know-how today.

Final Thoughts

If the past and present of Audemars Piguet tell us anything, it’s that the brand knows how to execute a diverse but coherent collection. And we can’t wait to see what new directions the Code 11.59 will take in the future.

For more information, check out the Audemars Piguet website.