Any watch combining “Russia” and “Audemars Piguet Code 11.59” has an uphill battle on its hands. But – hang on! – I promise this gets better. On both counts, there’s more to recommend this watch than the premise suggests, and while the Code has had more than its fair share of detractors, this one deserves a champion.

Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Bolshoi

The unlikely combo succeeds beyond expectations, and this may be the best dress watch AP has built in ages.

In 2019, the AP Jules Audemars dress watch series was retired and replaced with the Code 11.59 collection. Nothing in the press releases portended the controversy that was to follow, and even the contrived backronym CODE (“Challenge, Own, Dare, Evolve”) was pretty much par for Swiss marketing departments as watch-biz eye-rollers go.

The complications looked great, and there was genuine interest in the unique case construction. But… the “Chronograph” and “Selfwinding” models unleashed a shocking amount of rancor.

Audemars Piguet Code 11.59

The problem was the dials – and only on the basic models. All of the Code 11.59 complications received rich enamel, fumé fades, or aventurine glass. They looked their price. Perhaps AP rushed to market, or maybe a C-suite command decision was made against better advice, but the monotone blue, white, and black dials of the standard automatic and chronograph did not live up to their MSRP.

Real money was spent on these dials, but they looked flat and featureless; photography was even less flattering. Social media comparisons to dumpster dives on AliExpress and Etsy proliferated. It wasn’t nuanced or entirely fair, but that’s social media and – though we hate to admit it – watches are fashion products.

AP probably knew even before SIHH that it had a situation on its hands. And to be fair, somebody inside its Les Brassus labyrinth was working on a solution. By November, AP was ready with a test balloon; the Code 11.59 Bolshoi.

Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Bolshoi

Ostensibly a commemoration of ten years’ partnership between the watchmaker and Moscow’s Bolshoi Theater, the 99-piece white gold edition rebooted the standard Code 11.59 dial. By cutting and pasting the 11.59 Minute Repeater Supersonnerie’s blue gradient enamel dial, AP instantly rectified the fatal flaw of its basic dress watch.

With a bit of nuance and bifurcated color, the Code 11.59 Bolshoi comes alive. Aside from the more varied countenance, the specific blue chosen for this reboot is brighter and more vivid than the muted tone drafted for the initial models’ blue lacquer.

Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Bolshoi

Anyone who follows the métiers d’art of the watch industry knows that the darker the enamel, the more flaws it reveals. White enamel is easy because it hides the rifts and textures of fired vitreous paint; dark blue and black betray every imperfection.

Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Bolshoi enamel dial close up

AP’s execution is as smooth as still water, and the distinctive matrix of blended glass crystals doesn’t declare itself until extreme magnification is applied.

Extra detail and shifting shades also mask the Code 11.59’s other weakness: size. The initial automatic and chronograph models looked unfinished because their monotone dials were proportional to their immense cases.

Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Bolshoi on the wrist

41 mm in diameter and nearly 50 mm lug-to-lug is sports watch territory. The Code’s nearly complete absence of a bezel stretches the dial even further.

A 38mm dress watch can get away with a monotone black dial, but the full dial of a basic Code 11.59 stretches to nearly what could be expected of a 43mm watch. It was too much empty space. The Bolshoi’s color spectrum effectively fills the void.

From an external standpoint, the Code 11.59’s limiting factor is its size. Nothing this large could directly replace the classically proportioned Jules Audemars models, and the physical footprint of the Bolshoi is that of a sports watch.

Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Bolshoi on the author’s smallish 16 cm wrist

Any wrist below 16 cm circumference probably cannot maintain any semblance of elegance or fit with this watch, and that’s a real shortcoming for something billed as AP’s dress watch. No dial revision can address this, and it remains a limiting factor for those considering the Code’s 41mm models.

Size aside, external design of the Code 11.59 is uniformly excellent across the range. The Bolshoi is no exception. Its bezel is nearly non-existent and maximizes the impact of this edition’s superb dial. A uniquely cambered crystal produces lively and beguiling refractory patterns when viewed off-axis – particularly when looking between the lugs.

Mid-case profiles are recessed and enhanced with polish and brushed metal. The Code’s caseband is subtly shaped like a rounded octagon because… of course it is. Even here, AP won’t let you forget it’s the Royal Oak brand. Lugs are joined to their strap by bars fixed by hexagonal screws because AP MAKES THE ROYAL OAK. But I digress.

Caseband between the lugs of the Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Bolshoi

Lugs are open, airy, and akin to the flying buttresses of gothic cathedrals. Their evanescent grace is lost entirely in the frontal photography that dominates online watch portrayal. In every instance I’ve experienced, people encountering an 11.59 for the first time are impressed by these lugs. Not only are they elegantly profiled and beautifully beveled within their confines, but they’re subtly separate from the caseback.

Only the junction between the upper lug and the bezel secures these lugs to the case, and a small piece of paper will fill the gap between the lower lugs and the caseback. The intricate interior profiling of the lugs and detail finish of the caseband maybe explain this unusual assembly method.

“White gold” at AP clearly means something very different from what you find at Patek Philippe, Rolex, Jaeger-LeCoultre, De Bethune, and countless others who use what’s called “grey gold.” Grey gold is an 18-karat white gold alloy that is not rhodium plated and maintains its color straight through.

The only compromise is that this type of white gold, which now predominates in watchmaking, does not have the blindingly white sparkle of platinum. AP still uses rhodium or a similar platinum-group metal to supercharge the shine of its white gold watches, “Bolshoi” included.

Pin buckle of the Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Bolshoi, the carpet doesn’t match the drapes

And, although this pin buckle clearly was designed for the Code 11.59 series, it is clearly not made of plated white gold. It’s visibly darker than the watch. Weird.

Out back, we revisit the Russian theme of this model, and it’s a literalist salute to Moscow’s Bolshoi Theater. There it is, resplendent in rose gold, engraved by hand, and flanked by cherubs.

Automatic winding caliber 4302 movement of the Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Bolshoi

Frankly, this is the best AP rotor since the pre-2012 Royal Oak Jumbo’s winder was put out to pasture.

Intricately engraved winding rotor on the Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Bolshoi

Detail in 22-karat gold is incredible, and even the hair on the miniscule heads looks believably soft and voluminous.

Engraved Bolshoi Theatre on the movement of the Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Bolshoi

There’s a tiny scratch above the roof of the theater, and I don’t care. Human hands aren’t perfect, and even the small flaws are endearingly beautiful.

It’s a touching tribute to the home of the Bolshoi Opera and Bolshoi Ballet. The theater dates back to 1825 and every age of Russian history since the tsars. Although not immune to the influence of politics, the Bolshoi has outlasted them all. In an era when anything Russian is at an understandably low ebb of popularity, this is a reminder that everyone’s human, the worst will pass, and the door to redemption is always open.

Automatic winding caliber 4302 movement of the Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Bolshoi

Mechanically, the Code was a launch platform for AP’s then-new automatic and automatic chronograph calibers. The mechanical significance of the collection was buried under the landslide of aesthetic commentary. Caliber 4302 is, first and foremost, far larger than its predecessor, caliber 3120.

The old movement’s shriveled 26.6 mm span gives way to a 32 mm machine clearly built for modern watches. Beat rate rises from 3 Hz to 4 Hz, and the previous 60-hour autonomy is supplanted by the quasi-industry standard 70 hours.

Movement finish isn’t exquisite. Instead, it’s clean consistent, and professionally applied. The machined bevels are tidy but obviously the work of an automated tool; milling marks are clear under magnification. Competitors like Patek and Vacheron do a better job of final-pass-buffing their machined bevels, but AP does little to this end.

Machined Geneva stripes and bevels on the Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Bolshoi

Geneva stripes are present, but there’s little of the luminous quality or depth effect of the best côtes de Genève. There’s little beauty to its architecture, but the symmetry of the balance bridge is appreciated. Frankly, this is a movement you buy for its robust technical specs and the chef-d’oeuvre rotor.

Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Bolshoi

Russia. Audemars Piguet. The Code 11.59 . . . I know, I know. But still, there’s lots to love. As a watch this is a great one. As a Code 11.59, this might be the finest one. As a token of the best of Russian culture, it also reminds me of Russian friends I’ve made in my journey through the watch industry.

They’re still my friends, and, if nothing else, I’ve found a great way to change the subject next time we meet in Geneva.

For more information, please visit www.audemarspiguet.com/com/en/collections/code-11-59-collection.html

Quick Facts: Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Bolshoi
Reference Code: 15210BC.OO.A321CR.99
Edition: Launched in 2019 in 99 pieces
Functions: Hours; minutes; deadbeat seconds; multifunction crown; power reserve indicator
Case: White gold rhodium-plated; 41mm diameter; 10.8mm thick; 49.7mm lug-to-lug; 22mm between lug horns; buttress lugs; 30 meters of water resistance; push down crown; three-piece case
Dial: Blue gradient grand feu enamel with outboard black lacquer rehaut; white gold hands, numerals, indices, and brand name; date at 4:30
Movement: caliber 4302; automatic; 70-hour power reserve; stop seconds; quickset date; full balance bridge; free-sprung Gyromax-style balance; 32 jewels; 4hz; 32mm diameter; unique hand-engraved Bolshoi Theater 22-karat gold rotor; hybrid ceramic bearings
Strap: Dark blue alligator leather; large rectangular scale top and small round scale lining
Clasp: White gold pin buckle with AP branding
Limitation: 99 pieces
2025 Preowned Price: $27,000-$29,000

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