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Audemars Piguet Adds Steel to Code 11:59

Among the varied and impressive 2023 debuts from Audemars Piguet, seen earlier this year, six new references stood apart for their use of more traditional material: steel. For the first time since 2019 when Audemars Piguet debuted its much-discussed Code 11.59 collection, the manufacture is casing six examples of the series in steel.

One of three new chronographs in the debut Code 11:59 collection in steel.

Four of the new models are cased entirely in steel while the other two feature a combination of a black ceramic case middle with a steel bezel, lugs and case back. 

The two steel-cased models with a beige dial also feature a ceramic case center.

Three are chronographs and three are time-only models with date, and all display a new dial technique and pattern that Audemars Piguet has created especially for this collection.

Four of the six models (with blue and green dials) are made entirely from stainless steel while the two beige-dial examples combine steel and black ceramic.

New Dials

As noted, Audemars Piguet developed new dials for these debuts, and they are stunning. The stamped dial exhibits a pattern made up of concentric circles in a rippling pattern that emanates from the dial center.

The chronograph especially creates contrasting textures and hues within the sundials while the beige models exhibit a terrific gradation that becomes completely black towards the outer edge.

Developed by Audemars Piguet in collaboration with Swiss guilloché craftsman Yann von Kaenel, the dial pattern is slated to become a new signature design within Code 11:59. Look for the dial on future gold-cased and complicated watches within the collection.

Also new are the elongated hour-markers, replacing the Arabic numerals we’ve seen on Code 11:59 since its debut. The markers and hands are white gold that has been flattened, faceted, polished and then coated with SuperLuminova.

Audemars Piguet has also thinned the bezel on the new series. In addition, while earlier Code 11.59 models featured markers every five minutes, this new version offers a more detailed seconds scale. The watchmaker has made the crown more rounded and with shallower indentations than on previous models. (The crown on the steel models are steel while the crown on the beige-dialed models are black ceramic.)

Audemars Piguet fits its Caliber 4302 with a seconds and date indication into the time-only models while the Caliber 4401 integrated automatic chronograph movement with a column wheel and flyback function powers the chronograph.Each watch display the movement via a sapphire caseback, exposing a superbly decorated caliber with a brand new 22-karat pink gold openworked oscillating weight.

Audemars Piguet pairs each watch with a matching rubber strap decorated with a textile pattern and lined with calf leather.

Prices: Blue and Green dials: $35,000 (chronograph) and $25,300 (time, date).

Beige dial with black ceramic case center: $37,400 (chronograph) and $27,800 (time, date).

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The Watches

Gerald Charles Chronograph Now in Titanium 

Gerald Charles adds a titanium-cased Maestro Chronograph to its collection of elegant curved-case watches. With the new watch, the independent watchmaker (founded in 2000 by famed watch designer Gerald Charles Genta) creates the first titanium case within its characteristic Maestro Chronograph line, echoing the earlier production of a titanium case within the Gerald Charles GC Sport collection.

The new Gerald Charles Maestro GC3.0-TN Chronograph is a titanium-cased addition to the collection.

The new chronograph’s Sunburst royal blue dial, seen earlier on a gold Maestro Chronograph model, beautifully reflects ambient light and quite effectively complements the polished titanium frame. 

As with the case on the GC Sport model, the titanium case for the chronograph required extensive development, according to Gerald Charles.

The watch’s unusual curved shape is a challenge to the case maker as Grade 5 titanium is much harder than stainless steel or even gold to manipulate into curved forms.

Another challenge arises when attempting to set and polish the Maestro’s pushers, which are set directly at two curves adjacent to the crown.

Gerald Charles notes that the new titanium Maestro GC3.0-TN Chronograph weighs less than half its sister model in stainless steel. 

Inside the watch Gerald Charles fits the GCA3022/12 Manufacture automatic chronograph caliber developed in partnership between Gerald Charles and Swiss movement specialists Vaucher Fleurier Manufacture. (See below for detailed specifications.)

The chronometer-standard caliber is beautifully hand finished and visible through a sapphire crystal case back. On the dial, Gerald Charles applies and polishes counters at 3, 6 and 9, to display the running seconds, chronograph hours and chronograph minutes.

Price: $25,400.

Specifications: Gerald Charles Maestro GC3.0-TN Chronograph

(Reference GC3.0-TN-01)
Movement: Automatic GCA3022/12 manufacture chronograph caliber, with counters at 3, 6 and 9, 50-hour power reserve, 28,800 vph, stop-second system, 351 components, 46 rubies, 6.07mm thickness

Case: 39mm x 41.7mm by 11.5mm grade 5 titanium, polished with screw-down crown also in grade 5 titanium with Clous de Paris finish and embossed logo, sapphire crystal and back. Water resistance to 100 meters.

Dial: Sunburst royal blue, hands and applied indexes filled with SuperLumiNova.

Strap: Royal blue vulcanized rubber strap with titanium pin buckle.

Price: $25,400 

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The Watches

Reservoir Updates Kanister 

Reservoir enhances its vintage-auto-themed Kanister collection with the new Kanister 316, now supplied with a new retro five-link bracelet and newly powered by Reservoir’s recently updated proprietary Caliber RSV-240.

The new Reservoir Kanister 316. A silver dial model is also available.

With its dial inspired by the dashboard instruments of the legendary Porsche 356 Speedster, Kanister is the Paris-based independent watchmaker’s translation of that car’s RPM display onto a watch dial.

Offered with either a black or silver dial, the new Kanister 316 displays the time as indicated via Reservoir’s distinctive jump-hour function. This indicates minutes via a large hand sweeping 240-degrees across the dial and jumping back to restart each hour. Hours are shown digitally in the aperture at the 6 o’clock position, just above a power reserve display.

The dashboard of a 1956 Porsche 365 Speedster, the inspiration for the Kanister dial.

Reservoir recreates a 1950s feel with colorful dial treatment on the otherwise black dial model. Pastel green minute indexes and a swirl of the same green hue dominate, with red accents.

The silver dial edition is more classical, with a silver minute hand and only a hint of color reserved for the power reserve display. The watchmaker brush-finishes the watch’s 41.5mm steel case.

Reservoir fits the Kanister 316 with Caliber RSV-240, the watchmaker’s latest update of its signature jump-hour movement. Introduced last year, the caliber is made in association with the Swiss engine manufacture TELOS.

The automatic caliber makes use of a La Joux-Perret LJP-G100 base with a proprietary 113-piece module. With the new Caliber RSV-240, power reserve jumps to an impressive fifty-six hours. 

Reservoir plans to deploy the new caliber to all its jump-hour collections in the next few months.

Price: $4,600. 

 

Specifications: Reservoir Kanister 316  

Case: 41.5 mm, 316L stainless steel with brushed finish, screw-down crown, water-resistant to 50 meters. clear sapphire caseback.

Dial: Black or silver color. Retrograde minute, jumping hour and power reserve displays. 

Movement: Calibre RSV-240, manufacture automatic with patented proprietary 113-pieces module (LJP G100 base), 56-hour power reserve.

Bracelet: Stainless steel with butterfly folding clasp, additional black leather or Ostrich taupe leather strap. 

Price: $4,600. 

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The Watches

Chronoswiss Launches a Hurricane  

Lucerne-based Chronoswiss brews up a storm with its all-black Open Gear ReSec Hurricane, the latest model within the independent watchmaker’s regulator-layout Open Gear ReSec collection. Each new limited edition in the collection displays an inventive, hand-crafted movement-plate ‘dial’ treatment, and this new model is no exception.

The new Chronoswiss Open Gear ReSec Hurricane.

On the new Open Gear ReSec Hurricane, the namesake storm is crafted by hand by Chronoswiss with the aid of a century-old rose-engine turning machine. The swirling guilloché appears across the multi-level movement plate. The hour ring hovers above the fray alongside the 120-degree retrograde second display bridge.

This multi-part dial, which is actually part of the automatic Chronoswiss C.301 movement, highlights the regulator’s large central minute hand that crosses atop the prominent hour display at 12 o’clock.

Named for its premier function (ReSec stands for Retrograde Seconds), the watch’s jumping seconds hand along the lower half of the dial operates in a half-circle, leaping from the thirty seconds position back to start its arc to complete counting each minute.

Chronoswiss wisely builds large pillars of solid SuperLuminova to create the five-minute markers, which appear like beacons in the storm at night.

The 44mm black DLC-cased steel Open Gear ReSec Hurricane, with the familiar Chronoswiss knurled bezel and onion crown, is a limited edition of fifty.

Price: $12,000. 

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American Brands

Benrus Reboots a ‘Robot’ Diver 

Benrus revives its 1972 “Orbit Robot” dive watch, remaking that model’s 41mm by 13mm cushion-shaped steel case, eye-catching grey fumé dial and orange accents. 

The new Benrus Orbit Robot.

The recently-revived U.S-based watchmaker, well known for its military field watches and dive watches, perfectly mimics the original Orbit Robot’s exterior dimensions and hues.

When reproducing the dial, Benrus notes that it took extra steps to “fully replicate the depth and radiance of the original grey watch model.”  At the dial’s center you’ll see a light grey metallic color that subtly darkens toward the bezel. The luminous orange-framed hands echo the original.

Inside, Benrus updates the new watch’s technical details, powering the Orbit Robot with a new Soprod P024 automatic movement.

The watch’s caseback features a custom Benrus robot orbiting the Earth.

A domed sapphire crystal covers the dial, held with stainless steel bidirectional friction-fit bezel and protected to 200 meters of water resistance with a screw-down crown and a solid, decorated caseback. Only the lug dimensions have changed, now measuring 20mm (inner lug size) to accommodate modern 20mm straps and bracelets.

Price: $995.

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