Still a work in progress? Audemars Piquet Code

Audemars Piquet released steel versions of their Code 11.59 watch - the alternative to the many many royal oaks in their line up. The first 11.59 didn't blow people away and rightly so, because it wasn't great. What has changed? Is it better? Have they fixed it or what?

[@tv19463]

You really have to hold this watch in real life to appreciate that every single detail is complicated. The double curved crystal is mesmerizing

[@Mike.thiswatchthatwatch]

Precisely. Online just doesn't do it justice. 👍

[@shadimagdy8196]

Great review. The code has huge potential and they are on track fixing it. One step i guess is having a screw crown and improving the depth rating.

[@Mike.thiswatchthatwatch]

Thanks. Glad you liked it. The code could turn into something someday. No matter what the critics say for sure....😀😀

[@shadimagdy8196]

@@Mike.thiswatchthatwatch yes i have always been open to the code line since the beginning . My favorite is the chronograph in rose gold and black ceramic . Very exquisite piece :)

[@TheLute70]

As a businessman myself I find these videos extremely interesting. I'm going back to watch all of them

[@Mike.thiswatchthatwatch]

Thank you. Appreciated 😀

[@davidelliott948]

The Code 11:59 line has come a long way since it’s introduction. I wasn’t a fan when it was first launched, but it has grown on me over the past few years with the introduction of fume dials. Have you seen the new model with the blue sodalite dial? Stunning!

[@Mike.thiswatchthatwatch]

I haven't seen the sodalite in the metal. It's not my favorite, but I do agree it has something. Of the ones I've had in hand, the Carillon Supersonnerie is by far my favorite. IT's not for everyone but I dig it. Thanks for contributing btw, it's really appreciated. 😃

[@MikeOBrien1945]

IMHO you are posting some really good content/reviews…and I hope that you get more subs. This was a good one. Cheers!

[@Mike.thiswatchthatwatch]

Thanks, that's really appreciated. I'm trying to improve. At some point I want to be able to film the watches and add that to the videos - currently I am stuck with going down to my local AD, who is very very good to me and lets me come in after hours and fiddle with the watches. He won't let me take them home and film them though.... (and I can't afford to buy every watch I talk about)

[@PhillyHank]

🔒+1 funny thing when I watched my first video I thought, oh he’s one of those cranky experts, but then I watched other videos and remarked Oh, he’s a design guy who digs into engineering. Oh! That explains everything 😂 love the content! I’m subscribed!

[@bennychen7433]

Very well spoken and well thought through and informed opinion !

[@Mike.thiswatchthatwatch]

Thanks. Glad I wasn’t babbling incomprehensibly….. 😂🤦‍♂️

[@davidc5191]

"Who wears a dress watch?" I do, and own JLCs, Cartiers, etc. It's a misconception that dress watches are only for wearing with suits or jackets. I wear mine with any form of dress, and in any activity (except maybe swimming).

[@Mike.thiswatchthatwatch]

Fair point. I was of course not being literal. My broader point though was that dress watches are not as popular as "sports watches" broadly speaking. For every dress style watch I think there are 5-10 times more sports style watches that get sold (or some factor at least.). Personally. My reverso is very much a summer, outdoor, informal watch. It never goes under a suit for the very reason you point out. 😀😀😀

[@jamesrobert4106]

Great summary. I believe the first editions are making more sense with the passing of time. I liked it in 2019. I still want one now. It is still grail watch territory for me though.

[@Mike.thiswatchthatwatch]

IT is for most of us 😃

[@underachievingwatchcollect1878]

I’ll admit AP isn’t really in my wheelhouse but if we’re to purchase one it would have to be the Royal Oak. For the price of an 11:59 I think there are better alternatives. Enjoyed the vid-best regards 😎.

[@Mike.thiswatchthatwatch]

Totally agree. Best case the 11:59 will improve with subsequent iterations but I don't ever see it really taking hold.

[@massl]

The "textile" is actually a rubber strap. It just looks like textile. It wears absolutely fantastic.

[@Mike.thiswatchthatwatch]

True and thanks for being more precise than me. As far as I remember the inner lining is leather as well which helps with the wearing experience over full on rubber, and then with the textile look you get the best of all worlds 👍👍😀 Appreciate you taking the time to comment 💪

[@massl]

@@Mike.thiswatchthatwatch yeah that's correct, it's calf skin on the inner side to be super precise. I own the Chrono rose gold / ceramic middle Chrono and absolutely love it. I'm really curious how the community will see the watch in a few years. Al lot of today's hype watches didn't have a good start when they launched. So let's see :)

[@tockingwatches2377]

I’m buying an 11.59. To me it’s a sports watch in the same way a Polaris is a sports watch.

[@Mike.thiswatchthatwatch]

Good call 😃

[@M_Z_01]

Thank you for your content.

[@Mike.thiswatchthatwatch]

And thank you for watching!

[@jijdom]

I love every code 11.59, but the problem is that the watch has an identity crisis. It is designed to be more formal and less sporty than the royal oak, but it is 41mm. The hands are objectively quite boring and because it is a 41mm there is so much empty spaces on the dial. It looks like an unfinished watch. Also it is way too big for what it is, if that watch would have been 37-39mm it would have sold much better, especially with slightly more interesting hands.

[@Mike.thiswatchthatwatch]

You may be right about a smaller size. 41mm with a dial that size is a wierd space to inhabit. Did you see the new 6007 models at 40mm? I really think they’re trying something similar to the 11.59 in terms of aiming at a younger sportier audience.

[@joejly]

good analysis and not just blind hate for the code 11.59 as you see elsewhere

[@Mike.thiswatchthatwatch]

Thanks. Trying to be as neutral as possible. I of course have an opinion but on principle I try to challenge hype reactions - both positive and negative. 👍😀 Thanks for stopping by 👍

[@SaltBhj]

You’re quickly becoming my favorite watch reviewer

[@Mike.thiswatchthatwatch]

Yay! Thanks a ton for that comment - Makes my day 😀😀😀

[@jackominty3633]

Yikes! You are doing my head in by comparing the 11.59 with a poxy Nomos. Yes, I said and meant poxy. BTW, I love the original 11.59 in gold. and I really don't like the dials on the steel ones. So, I absolutley don't agree with you when you call them an improvement. The white dial is hideous, but most of the other ones are lovely. At least we agree that the case is amazing. As it happens, I have the 3-hander in rose gold, with a blue fume dial, a textile strap and it is gorgeous. Sorry! I also have a blue 15500 which I love infinitely more, but that's fine because it is more beautiful than any watch you could care to mention. Judge the 11.59 on its own merits. The only serious criticism I have is the truly poxy name. And no, I didn't buy the 11.59 to get the 15500 - I bought the 15500 before even ordering the Code 11.59.

[@leongcalv]

Very well said! Awesome video mate. Keep it up!!

[@Mike.thiswatchthatwatch]

Much appreciated. Trying my best…. 💪

[@mybrainlikesthings]

That word marque that they have in their branding, with one thing overlaying another, is something I remember seeing previously for the video game Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. The marketing for that game would leave out the subtitle except for its intersections with the main title leaving cut-outs… Some people online started sleuthing the problem of what words are missing from the subtitle because that might tell us what the game is about. Anyway, I wouldn’t be surprised if AP marketing was inspired by that. But if AP wants younger buyers, instead of “11:59” I would have gone with “13:37” (or “leetspeak”)

[@vintagedigital108]

Maybe a smoked sapphire dial would make it more interesting. So we can see the beautiful movement inside.

[@Mike.thiswatchthatwatch]

Well. If you have money for the chiming version (supersonnerie), then you can get exactly that. Would be cool in a more entry level complication though.... 👍😀

[@docskeekmo]

Excellent review. I love the watch. But they can’t seam to come up with a dial combo that shines yet. And that date location was horrid. They need to fix the precious metal versions date location. Or at least rotate the alignment so the text is in line with the rest of the numbers.

[@Mike.thiswatchthatwatch]

Agree completely 😃👍

[@frank327]

Great commentary, excellently narrated and we'll edited. Imo the Code 11.59 is incredibly bad. It's like a Diesel Watch from 2005 - even the name is outdated already! Astounding this and the Royal Oak are the only things AP produce now!

[@Mike.thiswatchthatwatch]

Thanks for the feedback as it's really appreciated. At some point I have to convince my AD friend to let me borrow the watches so I can film them as well. As for the Code. I try to be balanced in the video but I tend to agree. The good parts of the watch are all invisible and then you just have a mall watch. Totally forgot about Diesel. I just google their current models. Those things make Invicta look conservative. - Do people even buy them any more? 🤦‍♂️

[@Krishna_Tv68]

I have a #Question? Watch strap of this watch completely leather free ? Can you confirm it ?

[@Mike.thiswatchthatwatch]

It’s not leather free. The lining underneath is leather with the textile/rubber om the upper. It’s really a dream to wear 😀

[@evanhartwig2849]

The code will sell just so people can buy the Royal oak

[@Mike.thiswatchthatwatch]

Likely very true 😀

[@btmontres1423]

The RO Watch Company LOL. But seriously I am probably in the minority as I like the 11:59 as there is still much to like. AP has such a great back catalog that one would think they could approach both the new with the 11:59 and the vintage, not unlike the two-tone vintage [Re]master 01 chronograph from a few years ago.

[@vaclav_fejt]

If I were to buy an AP, I would not pick the Royal Oak, because: 1) It's a luxury sports watch, which is not my style. Yes, I know it was created precisely for that incongruency. It's simply not my thing. 2) I'm not a fan of that design. It's cool, sure, but I prefer the PP's Camaro to AP's Mustang, the Nautilus. I admit it's also a luxury sports watch, but considerably more dressy. 3) I like to go my own way. Not with the main stream, not against it. I don't pretend I'm not influenced by the main stream, but I still have my own mind. I like some mainstream stuff, I dislike some mainstream stuff. I have made purchases that were in one way or another aligned with the main stream and in some ways they were off. What was the deciding factor? It changed through time, but the overall deciding factor was from me, not from the outside. It makes the decisions harder, but the resulting collection is much much more interesting. The Code 11.59 may not be the sexiest luxury watch out there, but it's definitely interesting and they keep getting better. I'd still prefer a Moser, though.

[@Mike.thiswatchthatwatch]

I'd also prefer a Moser. My bank manager wouldn't though.... 😀

[@vaclav_fejt]

@@Mike.thiswatchthatwatch Of course we're talking hypotheticals. I don't have money even for an Oris, not to mention something from the revered trinity or higher.

[@kuongsam2314]

The Hamilton looks much better, you are right.

[@Mike.thiswatchthatwatch]

It’s so cool (at least I think so) 😀

[@douglasladowski6342]

For a Daniel Wellington it's good.

[@Mike.thiswatchthatwatch]

That it is 😂😂😂

[@khalifafakhroo9557]

Is it worth CHF22700?

[@Mike.thiswatchthatwatch]

Personally I think no... 😃

[@HarryJoiner]

2:28 - challenge and dare feel redundant

[@Mike.thiswatchthatwatch]

Most marketing is....😀😀

[@Bombast-A-Blasta]

11:59 apologists. There is no Lange I wouldn’t have over this.

[@benbill8739]

I love your way to compare a Daniel Wellington to an AP, just like someone comparing the design, the finishing and the work art of a 5K$ Chinese car to a Porsche super luxury car. They both get you to work or to the supermarket but putting them on the same video is just a joke 😂😂

[@Mike.thiswatchthatwatch]

Glad you found it funny that I explicitly said: "Especially if you haven't seen this watch in person. That is what a code 11.59 looked like. There’s no doubt that the dial, the hands, the markers, the lacquer, yes everything about the 11.59 dial is of better materials, better quality and finished to an infinitely higher degree than the DW, Tangente or Hamilton, but you can’t see that on a website. This is like those paintings in the MOMA which are all white and you’re like “how can this cost 1 millions dollars?. IT’s just white”. When you get it in your hands though the superficial complaints fade away" 😂😂😂

[@LaurentiusTriarius]

The code cringe as you mentioned combined with the marketing theme as a whole isn't enticing. I feel it's a desperate attempt at getting old people to feel young again by buying it.

[@Mike.thiswatchthatwatch]

Very true. I just see them wanting to promote a tag line like "We're so dope, chill to the max with our supreme uber LOL watches" 😂

[@DCRCS]

Audermars Piquet?? You mean Audemars Piguet. How can you get that wrong lol?

[@Mike.thiswatchthatwatch]

It’s a youtube watch channel, not a grammar and spelling channel. Typos may occur. 😂

[@LaurentiusTriarius]

Audemars Piquet is right, itchy is appropriate, the itch to get it then the rash you feel when you look at how much you spent on it.

[@nicknoh]

The watch is fine... the marketing is awful.

[@Mike.thiswatchthatwatch]

The marketing is worse than awful 😂

[@jonlit6612]

You are comparing AP CODE at 30-50k USD with 1k usd, mass produced, stamped and factory manufactured fashion watches. Why?

[@Mike.thiswatchthatwatch]

Don’t know what to say. To illustrate a point about dials and that just because a watch is 30k doesn’t mean the dial is good? I kind of thought the specific context of the comparison was clear in the video. Apparently not. Oh well 🤣🤣🤣

[@user-wi9nn6dz8w]

Because that’s the association people made when they saw the empty dials of the Code 11.59…

[@kimchiwasabee]

I love the date window at 4:30 ever since my first CartierPasha. Sooo,hoping for a discount on a 1st gen code1159.

[@stephenjurgella5594]

Really great info. I recently got offered an 1159 from my AD. I've been thinking a lot about if I wanted to go the 1159 route or be a bit more patient and get an offshore should one come available (I assume so). I find the beauty of the 26393CR.OO.A008KB.01 to be stunning... However... When I look at comments and the grey market value I have a hard time stomaching it. I find it beautiful, though. So, I will most likely go through with buying it.

[@Mike.thiswatchthatwatch]

If you like, you like. Screw what others think. Resale value - Now that's a different decision criteria. 😃