The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Audemars Piguet’s Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Ultra-Complication Universelle, known as RD#4, is the manufacture’s most complicated wristwatch by its own description. Its automatic Calibre 1000 brings together 40 functions—23 complications and 17 special technical devices—in a watch conceived not just to pack in mechanisms, but to make them more manageable on the wrist.
What is the Code 11.59 Universelle Ultra-Complication?
RD#4 is a 2023 Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet built around Calibre 1000. AP calls it its most complicated wristwatch; that is the company’s characterization, not a verified ranking of every watchmaker’s most complex model. The official product listing identifies reference 26398BC.OO.D002CR.04. Reference suffixes matter: specifications can vary by configuration.
AP’s exceptional timepieces page lists 1,140 movement components and more than 40 functions. Its 2023 heritage account gives a more precise breakdown: 40 functions, comprising 23 complications and 17 special technical devices. These figures describe different categories; the 17 devices are not additional complications.
What does Calibre 1000 do?
Rather than treating the movement’s functions as one undifferentiated count, it helps to group them by what they do. AP names the following among the watch’s functions:
#1 Best Overall
- VERIFY YOUR WATCH MODEL & MEASURE THE CORRECT SIZE USING A RULER – Watch Parts Are Model and Size Specific. Please Verify Compatibility Before Purchasing.
- Compatibility & Size: Sapphire Watch Crystal, compatible with Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore (27.30 x 1.70mm).
- Ensure Perfect Fit: Verify the size, color, and model compatibility with your specific watch before purchasing to ensure a perfect fit and avoid returns or exchanges.
- Compatibility Check: Double-check your watch's requirements and compatibility details to ensure the product meets your needs. This will help you avoid any issues with returns or exchanges.
- Aftermarket Product: This is an aftermarket/generic made to original factory specs for a precise fit.
- Striking: Grande Sonnerie, Supersonnerie and minute repeater.
- Timing: flyback chronograph and split-seconds chronograph.
- Calendar and lunar displays: astronomical moon, moon phase, large date and a semi-Gregorian perpetual calendar.
- Regulation: a flying tourbillon.
A complication adds a function beyond basic time display; a technical device supports how a movement operates or how its functions are controlled. AP’s 40-function total includes both kinds of work. The listed functions illustrate the range, rather than serving as a complete technical inventory.
AP says the project took seven years and involved collaboration across disciplines. The result is not only a collection of complications: the design challenge was to bring a large number of mechanisms into a wristwatch and make their controls usable.
Rank #2
- VERIFY YOUR WATCH MODEL & MEASURE THE CORRECT SIZE USING A RULER – Watch Parts Are Model and Size Specific. Please Verify Compatibility Before Purchasing.
- Quality Construction: Made from premium materials, this screwdriver is built to last and handle the demands of servicing high-end watches like the Cartier Santos. A reliable tool for your watch maintenance needs.
- Non-Slip Design: The straight blade design reduces slippage and minimizes the risk of scratching your watch or band. The secure blade attachment ensures stability during use.
- Convenient Size & Function: With an overall length of 94mm, this tool offers a comfortable grip. The head and shaft swivel independently, enhancing maneuverability and ease of use.
- Swiss Made Excellence: Crafted in Switzerland, this screwdriver meets high standards of quality and precision. Ideal for watchmakers, hobbyists, and collectors seeking a reliable tool for Cartier Santos XL watches.
How does it compare with the 1899 Universelle?
The name looks back to an Audemars Piguet pocket watch from 1899. According to AP, the historical Universelle had 1,168 components, 26 functions and 19 complications. It was designed to demonstrate watchmaking savoir-faire, rather than for everyday wear. AP says the watch was restored between 2012 and 2016 and is displayed at the Musée Atelier Audemars Piguet.
| Detail | 1899 Universelle pocket watch | 2023 Code 11.59 RD#4 |
|---|---|---|
| Components | 1,168, according to AP’s historical account | 1,140 in AP’s general exceptional-timepieces description; a regional reference variant lists 1,155 |
| Functions and complications | 26 functions, including 19 complications, according to AP | 40 functions: 23 complications and 17 special technical devices, according to AP’s heritage account |
| Controls | 14 setting devices, as described by AP Chronicles | Three crowns and three push-pieces, as described by AP |
| Intended use | Demonstration of watchmaking expertise; not designed for daily wear | A wristwatch whose controls and ergonomics are part of the design story |
AP presents RD#4 as a modern tribute to the pocket watch, with a different emphasis: reducing the burden of operating a complex mechanism. The historical figures come from AP’s own descriptions, and the component counts should not be read as a direct measure of which watch is “more complicated”; their function totals and categories differ.
Rank #3
- The pack of protective film covers the following areas:case (back, side, crown guard), lug (front), glass, bezel, endlink clasp，(front, side),bracelet（front,side）
- Use Finewatchcare's specially designed watch protector to protect your watch surface from scratches and cracks
- This protector is made of high-quality materials to restore its original luster and achieve higher accuracy
- Maintain a smooth and stylish appearance of the watch while adding an additional protective layer
- Use Finewatchcare's durable and reliable watch surface protection to extend the lifespan of the watch
How is such a complex watch controlled?
AP says three crowns and three push-pieces are enough to set the wristwatch’s functions, with the crowns each handling multiple functions. That is notably fewer setting devices than the 14 AP Chronicles attributes to the 1899 pocket watch. The comparison points to RD#4’s ergonomic ambition: complexity is concentrated in the movement, while the wearer interacts with it through a comparatively restrained set of controls.
Former AP CEO François-Henry Bennahmias, who led the company from 2012 to 2023, described the effort this way in AP’s heritage article: “The Universelle is like the quest for the Holy Grail with so much expertise in such a small volume! We dreamed about it for 100 years, we thought about it for 20 years, and it took us 7 years to achieve.”
Rank #4
- The pack of protective film covers the following areas:case (back, side, crown guard), lug (front), glass, bezel, endlink clasp， (front, side),bracelet（front,side）.
- Use Finewatchcare's specially designed watch protector to protect your watch surface from scratches and cracks.
- This protector is made of high-quality materials to restore its original luster and achieve higher accuracy.
- Maintain a smooth and stylish appearance of the watch while adding an additional protective layer.
- Use Finewatchcare's durable and reliable watch surface protection to extend the lifespan of the watch.
What are the published specifications?
Specifications need to be tied to a reference. AP’s product listing identifies reference 26398BC.OO.D002CR.04; a separate Spanish regional page for suffix .02 lists different details. AP’s heritage article gives general dimensions, while AP Chronicles uses rounded wording.
| Specification | Published detail |
|---|---|
| Movement | Automatic Calibre 1000 |
| Components | 1,140 on AP’s general exceptional-timepieces page; 1,155 on the Spanish regional page for reference 26398BC.OO.D002CR.02 |
| Functions | 40 in AP’s heritage article; described as over 40 on AP’s exceptional-timepieces page |
| Case | 18-carat white gold, 42 mm diameter, according to the Spanish regional .02 page |
| Thickness and weight | 42.4 mm diameter and 15.5 mm thick; barely 180 grams, according to AP’s heritage article. AP Chronicles describes it as under 42 mm and under 180 g. |
| Water resistance | 20 m, according to the Spanish regional .02 page |
| Power reserve | 60 hours, according to the Spanish regional .02 page |
| Jewels | 90, according to the Spanish regional .02 page |
The regional .02 data should not be silently transferred to the .04 listing. The difference between AP’s general 1,140-component description and the .02 page’s 1,155-component figure is likewise a reason to check the exact reference when comparing configurations.
Best Value
- The pack of protective film covers the following areas:case (back, side, crown guard), lug (front), glass, bezel, endlink clasp， (front, side),bracelet（front,side）.
- Use Finewatchcare's specially designed watch protector to protect your watch surface from scratches and cracks.
- This protector is made of high-quality materials to restore its original luster and achieve higher accuracy.
- Maintain a smooth and stylish appearance of the watch while adding an additional protective layer.
- Use Finewatchcare's durable and reliable watch surface protection to extend the lifespan of the watch.
What recognition has it received?
AP Chronicles says RD#4 won the 2023 GPHG Aiguille d’Or Grand Prix. That attribution is AP’s; it is included here as part of the company’s account of the watch’s recognition.
Quick Recap
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