Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-thin 39mm 16202BC.OO.1240BC.02

Audemars Piguet Grand Complication, aka The Code 11.59 Universelle Great; now, one watch rules them all.

Let's get straight to the point: Audemars Piguet's choice of Code 11.59 to house its most complicated watch yet, the Ultra-Complication Universelle RD#4, makes a bold statement and showcases the brand's incredible technical brilliance. It is complex and compact, with neat display and simple operation. Today, we will introduce this watch in detail for you.

It appears to have been over four years since Audemars Piguet launched the Code 11.59 collection. Released in 2019, it was initially met with negativity and criticism for not being supposed to be another Royal Oak. While unfortunately, in the public eye, the brand has become fully synonymous with the iconic Royal Oak and its derivatives, AP must be commended for taking a very radical and courageous step to once again be recognized as a leading brand. A watchmaking company with a diverse product portfolio. What a great step. In the year when the series was launched, the Code 11.59 Minute Repeater Super Sonnerie was highly praised by the GPHG jury and won the 2019 Men's Complication Watch Award, which is of great significance.

Code 11.59 thoughtfully crafted cases define the collection. It’s a true gem—round shape, octagonal case middle, skeletonized lugs, signature curves—and since its introduction it has required a complication or an equally striking complication dial to match. It is understandable why the time and date model, which was released in the first Code 11.59 series of Audemars Piguet, was the most hated. The pictures circulating online don't do enough to show these well-made watches, mainly because of the slightly dull dial. Still, as new models keep coming out, impressing the most die-hard skeptics and silencing critics, it's clear that the Code 11.59 is on its way to success and may one day surpass the Royal Oak in importance And attractive (maybe...). Check out the current Code collection, including the very unconventional Starwheel, which seems to have waited years for a rebirth with a proper case design; admire the blue “guilloché and flinqué” enamel dial of the Grande Sonnerie Carillon Supersonnerie or the aventurine perpetual calendar. Code 11.59 needs to be taken very seriously, and a new reference the AP recently added makes it even stronger. Audemars Piguet chose the code 11.59 to house its most complicated watch yet, the Ultra-Complication Universelle RD#4.

The Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Universelle Ultra-Complication RD#4 is a tribute to the 1899 L'Universelle pocket watch movement, one of the most complex movements ever produced in the Audemars Piguet Manufacture – the watch is now in the Audemars Piguet The Studio Museum as part of the permanent exhibition. L'Universelle contains 26 functions; complications include grande sonnerie carillon and perpetual calendar, split-seconds, jumping seconds and jumping seconds chronograph - four of the five chronograph hands are controlled by a single pusher, and the brand calls this wristwatch The watch is placed next to Breguet Marie Antoinette. (1802) and the Patek Philippe Henry Graves Grand Complication (1933).

RD#4 indicates that it is the fourth timepiece in the R&D series, first launched in 2015, featuring the impressive sound of the Royal Oak Concept Acoustic Research RD#1. Since then, the series has launched the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Ultra-thin RD#2 (2019), which was the thinnest self-winding QP at the time (it still belongs to the full-oscillating QP to this day). Last year, the Royal Oak Self-Winding Flying Tourbillon Ultra-Thin RD#3 was unveiled, coinciding with RO’s 50th anniversary. Code 11.59 Universelle Ultra-Complication RD#4 combines the first three, but should also be considered the result of years of miniaturization practiced by AP.

In order to fit all the RD#4 complication into the Code 11.59 case, AP had to supercharge it a bit, increasing the diameter by 1mm (41mm is a typical size for the series), so it is 42mm thick compared to 15.55 mm mm, the thinnest Code watch is only 10.70 mm high. Due to the uniqueness of the Universelle Ultra-Complication RD#4, one cannot compare its size with other ultra-complex watches, but to give you an idea, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Hybris Mechanica Grande Sonnerie measures 45mm x 15mm, A. The Lange & Söhne Grand Complication measures 50mm x 20.30mm, the Les Cabinotiers Celestia Astronomical Grand Complication 3600 with its 23 complications measures 45mm x 13.6mm, and the Patek Philippe 6300 Grandmaster Chime measures 47.7mm x 16.07mm. So, AP's Universelle Ultra-Complication RD#4 may not be the thinnest, but still,

However, you will need some instructions to guide you through the learning process of managing the new AP Universelle's 40 functions (i.e. 23 complications and 17 technical devices). You can learn it by trying it out visually, just like with an iPhone. The analogy holds true, as AP technical director Giulio Papi was impressed by the usability of the device and wanted to create a highly complicated watch to achieve the same effect.

In Code 11.59 Universelle Ultra-Complication, the button/corrector on a traditional ultra-complication watch is replaced by a labeled button on the left side of the case. Some functions are entrusted to three multitasking crowns with integrated pushers on the right. There's also a lever that opens the "secret" slim caseback, but we'll get to that later.

Before modifying the functions and learning the use of the crown and pushers, let's take a closer look at the watch and appreciate the simplicity of the complex. The buttons are seamlessly integrated, the crown is flawless, and the Universelle Ultra-Complication looks and feels like a watch anyone would love. AP has worked hard to make it a classic idea of ergonomics—comfortable, easy to use, with great performance and modern aesthetics—with little to complain about. Giulio Papi and his team have developed a wearable watch with a long list of specifications, but there are only a few main specifications to keep in mind as they are what the wearer will experience. RD#4 adopts the super sonnerie technology (gong mounted on the soundboard) introduced in RD#1, so it has grande and petite sonnerie and minute repeater. The watch is also equipped with the ultra-thin perpetual calendar device equipped with RD#2 and the double split-seconds flyback chronograph. The increased amplitude oscillator and flying tourbillon (not originally planned) introduced in RD#3 allow for better performance and presentation.

To enjoy the acoustics, you can switch between grande sonnerie, petite sonnerie and silent modes using the crown at 2 o'clock; markings on the side of the crown. Grande Sonnerie mode will cause the unit to chime the hour and quarter hour in sequence; the Petite Sonnerie will simply chime the time automatically; in silent mode, the chime is turned off. The minute repeater is activated separately from the pusher at 10 o'clock. All chimes are powered by a dedicated barrel wound alternately with the mainspring wheel.

For the RD#4, the Supersonnerie technology used to achieve superior sound quality by means of gongs attached to the soundboard instead of the motherboard has been redesigned and allows viewing of the composition. AP has built a double back with a thin "secret" vented cover to let air in to amplify the sound, and a 0.6mm thin sapphire crystal membrane assembly for the gongs. When the cover is opened using the lever under the crown at 3 o'clock, the split-seconds mechanism and platinum oscillating weight engraved with Sonic are revealed.

Now, since we mentioned the split-seconds hand, this mechanism is integrated within the thickness of the central rotor ball bearing; thus, the overall thickness of the movement is reduced by 1.1mm to 8.75mm (only about 1mm more than the Valjoux 7750… ...). The operation of the chronograph is relatively simple. Crown at 2 o'clock with musical note symbol on top of integrated pusher for starting and stopping flyback chronograph. The pusher in the center crown at 3 o'clock is used for the split-seconds starter. A pusher at 4 o'clock activates the flyback and return-to-zero functions. simple.

As for operations not yet mentioned, the central crown at 3 o'clock allows the wearer to wind the watch and set the time and date. The crown at 4 o'clock is used for quick forward and backward month and year corrections by partial rotation, and automatically returns to the neutral position when the mission is complete. The top button on the left side of the case is engraved with the theme tone and activates the minute repeater. In the middle is the quick day correction (marked WD) and below that is the moon phase. That's it!

Now that we're familiar with the operation of the watch, let's look at the dial. The Code 11.59 Universelle Ultra-Complication RD#4 comes in four variants, two with what the brand calls architectural dials and two more traditional, closed dials. The solid dial is available in black or beige and white gold, while the two models displaying the movement are available in white or rose gold.

Contrary to common practice, the Universelle RD#4 was designed with the dial first and not the movement. The results are mesmerizing; a super-complex watch, especially the solid-dial version, doesn't look like this.

With solid dial references, all calendar indications are easily read at a glance and do not interfere too much with the chronograph subdials at 3 and 9 o'clock. Day indicator at 9 o'clock, large date window at 12 o'clock, month window at 3 o'clock. The year indicator replaces the rudiments of the leap year and is located next to the indicator at 4 o'clock.

There are no hour markers on the architectural/skeleton dial, so the view is more complicated. Here, rotating day and month discs are incorporated within the chronograph subdials. This is the same movement we're talking about, so AP designed it to accommodate the wider date wheel (shown through the aperture) on the solid dial. On the open dial RD#4, the day and month are indicated by red triangle indicators.

The moon phase indicator is at 8 o'clock, synchronized with the year indicator. The image of the moon transitioning between phases is formed by two concentric discs imprinted with a moon pattern, creating ten different moon phases. Once set correctly, the moon phase function will not need to be corrected for 122 years as long as the watch runs uninterrupted. The perpetual calendar is valid until the year 2400; the calculation of the QP mechanism takes into account the number of days in each month and leap years, and automatically advances the day, date, month and year as it moves from December to January.

The AP1000 movement that drives the new Code 11.59 Universelle Ultra-Complication RD#4 is regulated by a flying tourbillon and requires a separate chapter to describe this movement in detail. Comprised of 1,155 parts, it uses 90 jewels, beats at 21,600 vph, and derives its 64-hour power reserve from a larger mainspring barrel, whose acoustic functions, as mentioned, are derived from a separate dedicated barrel energy. It is a "combination" of previous AP technologies and innovations, resulting in a relatively compact movement. The movement is finished to the highest standards we know AP to excel at, with each component performing its task flawlessly, be it technically, aesthetically or both.

The AP1000 movement and the watch as a whole epitomize AP's past and future. The Code 11.59 Universelle Ultra-Complication RD#4 is not an exercise or show-off to demonstrate functionality and prowess; the brand's promotion could no longer emphasize user-friendliness and wearability, and Giulio Papi reportedly admitted that the watch could be taken for swimming ( Waterproof to 20m). With a price tag of 1.45 million Swiss francs for the cheapest version, people will try like crazy. If you should give it a try, why not write us and share your experience?

The new Code 11.59 Universelle Ultra-Complication RD#4 comes on a black alligator strap with a gold AP folding clasp and an additional black textured rubber-coated calfskin strap.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS – Audemars Piguet ULTRA-COMPLICATION UNIVERSELLE RD#4 Code 11.59
Case: Diameter 42mm x Height 15.5mm - 18k white or rose gold, brushed and polished, octagonal middle case - double curved sapphire crystal - secret case back opens to Supersonnerie sapphire membrane - sapphire crystal above movement - 20m water resistance
Dial: Black or beige closed, or skeletonized with black and gold/silver accents - 18K gold hands - Inner bezel with tachymeter scale
Movement: Caliber AP 1000, in-house - self-winding with semi-peripheral oscillating weight - 90 jewels - 34.3 mm x 8.8 mm - 1,140 components - 21,600 vibrations per hour with one-minute tourbillon - 64-hour power reserve
Functions: Grande and Petite Sonnerie, Minute Repeater, Flying Tourbillon, Semi-Gregorian Perpetual Calendar (Day, Grand Date, Month, Year, Astronomical Moon, Moon Phases), Flyback Chronograph, Split Seconds, Hours and minutes
Strap: Black alligator leather with 18k white or rose gold deployant clasp - bonus black textured rubber-coated calfskin strap
Reference: 26398BC.OO.D002CR.01 White Gold, Black Dial
26398BC.OO.D002CR.04 White gold, beige dial
26398BC.OO.D002CR.02 White gold, skeletonized dial
26398OR.OO.D002CR.01 rose gold, skeletonized dial