2022 is a very important year for Audemars Piguet as it celebrates half a century since the birth of its iconic Royal Oak. But this is not the only specialization of the leading Swiss watch house, which has excellent samples of complex mechanisms in its arsenal. Proof of this is the latest model, introduced shortly before the end of this year, the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Starwheel, which is a revival of the historic avant-garde movement with an unconventional display of hours and minutes on the dial. The famous “circular clock” was a complex system invented in 17 century, in which the clock is in the form of rotating satellites that move along the arc-shaped minute scale at the top of the dial. According to Sebastian Vivas, heritage manager and director of the Audemars Piguet Museum, this system was invented in 1655 at the request of Pope Alexander VII, who suffered from insomnia and the constant ticking of the clock kept him awake. So he ordered a “night watch” from the Campani brothers, watchmakers in Rome. He asked them for a desk clock that would be quiet and easy to read in the dark. The Campani brothers created the first clock especially for the Pope, in which the time was read in a semicircle with a hole showing a quarter of an hour, and was illuminated from the inside. These clocks were the ancestors of the rotating time system.

This highly aesthetic appearance of the discs rotating on the dial gave a mysterious aura to the countdown. Although the 20th century, this system went into oblivion, it was rediscovered and brought back to the fore by Audemars Piguet in 1991. This gave it the name Starwheel, and by the late 2000s several models were produced with this rare complication. Now it’s the turn of the new Code 11.59 from Audemars Piguet Starwheel to captivate lovers of fine watchmaking. The traditional rotating watch system returns with a completely modern design in an exceptionally elegant timepiece that combines 18K white gold with black ceramic.

As you can see at first glance, it has only one central second hand. The time is read at the top of the dial by one of three rotating dials that indicate the minutes in a 120 arc. with a graduated scale of 60 minutes. What is most impressive is that the mechanical complexity of the watch is brought to the fore, providing an unparalleled charm to the viewer.

Watch the video below to see how the rotating dial works…

The Starwheel system fits perfectly with the modern architecture of the Code 11.59 case from Audemars Piguet, which combines various geometric shapes into a well-structured whole. It has a diameter of 41mm and an exquisite handcrafted finish that makes the most of the play of light to bring out all the details of the design. The bezel, temples and case back are all crafted from 18K white gold and contrast perfectly with the octagonal central case and crown, crafted from impeccably finished black ceramic with alternating polished and satin-brushed surfaces.

For the background of the dial, the designers of the house chose blue aventurine, a material reminiscent of the night starry sky. Above this fascinating stellar galaxy, slightly convex three-hour disks rotate like planets on their axis.

They are crafted from black PVD-coated aluminum with a sandblasted opal finish, and the numerals at 12 o’clock are white for maximum contrast. The same color play of black and white repeats the curved minute track, which starts at 10 o’clock and ends at 2 o’clock.

The intricate double-curved sapphire glass with anti-reflective coating and highly domed profile emphasizes the modern style of the watch, enhancing all indications and aesthetic details. On the back, another sapphire crystal reveals the heart of the movement, as well as a 22-carat rose gold oscillating weight.

The famous Starwheel system joins for the first time the Code 11.59 collection from Audemars Piguet and the automatic caliber 4310. This movement is based on the 4309 movement, to which a new watch rotation system has been added. It is a latest generation movement with traditional know-how and impeccable finishes, offering 70 hours of battery life.

The new Code 11.59 from Audemars Piguet Starwheel wraps around the wrist with a textured black rubber strap and fastens with a new Audemars Piguet logo clasp instead of the simple AP monogram.

More information about Audemars Piguet here.

Boutique Audemars Piguet: st. Bucharest, 21, Athens (tel.: 210-3629251)