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Totally not me!!!
Today I dropped by at the Audemars Piguet boutique in Kuala Lumpur in hope of meeting the sales person who has not replied my whatsapp messages or phone calls since the launch of the 50th anniversary models. I did not have the required appointment but I did manage to meet him and he managed to squeeze me in before his next appointment. After apologising profusely for his non communication (the usual dead busy excuse was used more than once), I went on to ask him what the possibility was to secure a Royal Oak in 37mm with the light blue dial. Now it is worth noting here that not only have I never owned an Audemars Piguet but I have never even owned a bracelet watch as I tend to be partial to dress watches with a leather strap. So me wanting a Royal Oak would be an acquisition of mega proportions. The salesman said it might be years before I was allocated a piece unless I built a profile with the company. Now ordinarily, I would frown on having to purchase a watch before being allowed to buy another. This practise just does not seem right or fair to the customer. But for once, I decided to bend my own rules and after viewing a couple of watches - a Royal Oak off shore and a Code 11.59 with a blue dial, I decided to place an order for the latter and also for the coveted Royal Oak with the light blue dial.
To be honest the Code 11.59 is not an unattractive watch and apparently, it too has a waiting list. It seems strange, does it not, that one has to wait for the watch that will allow one to be fast tracked to buy what one really wants! Perhaps one can argue that Audemars Piguet do not really have slow moving stock so they are asking the customer to build a profile not because they need to sell a particular range. Anyway, I hope the wait for both watches will not be too long (too long for me is anything more than 3 years). I guess the moral of the story here is that we all have values but sometimes, we might need to be flexible with these values to attain a certain goal.
The Code 11.59 in my chosen colour.
My dream Royal Oak
The movement now has a 70 hour power reserve
Fits perfectly I think!
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Totally not me!!!
Today I dropped by at the Audemars Piguet boutique in Kuala Lumpur in hope of meeting the sales person who has not replied my whatsapp messages or phone calls since the launch of the 50th anniversary models. I did not have the required appointment but I d...
You are obviously a more adventurous person than I am Nico! :-)
Daring for me would have been the burgundy coloured dial.
For a 41mm watch,
it was not a bad fit for my wrist. Of course the Royal Oak was the better fit with its 37mm case For me, this is the prettiest Royal Oak ever - just the correct tinge of blue.
It is always heartening
when a watch company gets the dial colour right especially as more seem to be experimenting with some less than convincing colours.
So I am most tickled
when some of the watches with garish dials become sought after! I just have to pinch myself to remind my judgmental self that beauty is indeed in the eyes of the beholder
Not a fan of this bundling
I do think the code is great however ! Supercool case and shaped of the crystal. For me, the numerals could be different? I'd go with burgundy.
Yes Burgundy was also very striking
but I was afraid that the colour would wear out on me over time.
The Code 11.59 looks good!
Does in comes with that canvas strap from AP ? Regards, Laba
12 o’clock markers on Royal Oak ,
Looks to be not centered on the dial ,beautiful dial otherwise
Your eyes must be better than mine!
because I kept looking at the dial and could not notice any error.
Maybe it is just Malaysia
but all the watches at Patek, AP and Rolex are for display purposes only as they have zero stock. It is a most unfortunate situation and fuels the used market I do hope the situation will improve but with the increasing interest in watches, I fear things ...
Thank you Lars!
Rolex could double their production and still not be able to meet demand. Definitely the same with AP and Patek but I hope none of them resort to doing that!
Green seems to be the new blue
but I will always be partial to blues over most other colours (silver apart!)
yes it is very fresh. but IMHO blue is the most formal after white/silver.
Black is in a style of its own.
i think so too! :-)
Considering that I have now been retired for almost 5 years, I am still partial to dress watches and formal wear. So the blue is arguably more me than any other dial colour. Bad habits die hard, as they say!
I love the lighter blue tone of that RO and can understand why you’re willing to buy the Code to get what you really want.
Sell the Code if it turns out that it doesn’t suit you. No judgment from me. I hope your overall journey to the RO is less than the estimated three years.
Thank you for your reply!
I too hope that the wait will be less than three years, if only because Audemars Piguet might decide to discontinue the model which would be quite awful (for me anyway!)
"the Code 11.59 is not an unattractive watch"
I miss the days when people bought watches they loved. Simpler times....
No kidding, epically since the SA treated the OP so poorly; he couldn't even bother to text him back.
I mean, if that's the case, does one really think that associate is going to go out of his way to get a RO for you? C'mon... This feeding frenzy/FOMO/dangling carrot world is such a shame.
One thing I have learned to appreciate in our passion
is that trust is key to any watch transaction. One has to trust one's intuition and I like to think I did not get it wrong today. Time will tell of course.
I believe the most important thing
is that good customer service still prevailed and ultimately, securing a most desirable piece for my small collection.
I too miss those days
and I would not usually subscribe to a practise of buying something that is a passport to something else. But the desire to own the light blue Royal Oak is so great that compromises need to be made.
Let's hope there is a happy ending to all this
and I look forward to my first ever AP and my first ever sports watch!
First of congrats on the 2 watches
Second with buying both watches your still cheaper than on the secondary market 🤔 On a different note this RO is very classic with a beautiful dial (I’m a big fan of light colored dials) and fits you right The CODE i tried on in the previous and liked it ...
Waiting for a watch is many a time a pleasure to me
simply because it makes me appreciate it so much more when it arrives. I look forward to 2028 when my Frodsham finally arrives after a 7 year wait! Now that requires patience which I hope I will have.
Thank you!!
Some things are just worth waiting for - meanwhile I will keep myself busy with the wait for the APs.
Don’t feel obligated to buy things you don’t want just in order to qualify for something you actually want.
I am sure there are also a lot of customers who have placed an order for a Code 11.59 - so in doing so you gain no competitive advantage… I thought of doing the same late year in Bahrain and was told that just buying one Code 11.59 will not be enough to g...
Hi Alex, thank you for your reply!
I am a Patek man myself but saying that I prefer this particular reiteration of the Royal Oak more than any other sports watch in the market and to some extent more than most other watches in the market. And I think that is probably what has influenced me...
I am sure that you will love the Code.
One of the best modern watch designs out there.
Quite interestingly,
the Code 11.59 grew on me the longer I wore it. Yes it is not my usual slim dress watch but it is a watch with character.
Beautiful pieces…
As a rule I don’t judge others decisions but for myself the only time I could conceivably accept that kind of poor service or behavior (especially on an item like a luxury timepiece or high end vehicle etc) was on behalf of a child (schooling etc) or spou...
Thank you!
I too believe in excellent customer service as part of the watch acquisition experience. Afterall, a simple whatsapp reply that would take less than a minute never hurt anyone. However, I also understand how crazy the watch world has become and even my Pa...
Thank you Myles!
I certainly hope both my orders will be fulfilled which will be genuine cause of happiness.
The light shade of blue on the Royal Oak is superb
I hope to get one for TracieC at some point.
It will be ok…we all know how this works…
You buy one get one for “free”, plus some so why not 😂
I wish I could get an AP for free!
In fact, right now, I wish I could get both APs at list before the next price increases and the one after that and the one after that!!
You know what I mean…
That glacier blue 37mm RO is so hot that value-wise might get you 2 Codes, hence the “free” term, winking. Why would AP allocate such a sought after watch to you/me people on the streets with no purchase history right? To the sales who don’t know us, they...
Well, I know in Malaysia in general
people dislike waiting for anything let alone a watch so many actually do not take up their allocation when their turn arrives simply because it may have taken a few years and either they have bought something else or the money has been utilised elsewhere...
Vacheron
I had the same experience with V C. Order a 56 and a overseas and possibly get them within 2 years. Have a good day as I strolled over to the Breguet shop.
Walking away is seldom a bad thing
and it all bores down to one's resolve and how much one actually wants the watch. For me, it was a watch with no competition and no alternative, for me anyway.
Best of luck on the Royal Oak...
...it is a killer, and it DOES fit you perfectly : )
I'm going to wait.....
....for that day which is 6 to 12 months away maximum, when Rolex, PP and AP Dealers are trying to sell these under rain-coats on street corners. I believe the arrogance of these companies and their Dealers will be a historic footnote on how not to do bus...
I also think there will be a day of reckoning..
where these main houses will regret treating potential customers the way they did when the everything corrects. I don't know if it will be 6-12 months from now though. Instinct would have lead me to believe that luxury items would have crashed during a gl...
The world is changing
and millionaires are being made in numbers through cypto currency and other forms of investment. The pandemic has allowed many people more time to consider how else to spend their money from their home, not to mention the amount they had saved from not be...
Unfortunately I think that is unlikely to happen
as the well heeled increase in number rapidly and look for ways to spend their new found wealth. The emergence of internet and bitcoin millionaires have resulted in various items such as watches and even Non-fungible tokens (NFT) increase in value illogic...
Unfortunately, I think this is the same song and dance they give everyone..
that doesn't have a history with the boutiques. Buy this and you might be able to get that. Problem is, what prevents them from moving the goal post? And simply saying well you actually have to buy x amount before you're allocated the watch you really wan...
Hi Jorge!
Congratulations in advance on the Frodsham! It is a special watch. You might be right with the sales strategy of AP but I am giving the sales person the benefit of the doubt since all AP pieces are now sought after and have a waiting list so there is no o...
Unfortunately, some people
would argue that living the luxury life is gaining possession of the luxury item rather than the process in obtaining it. We visited Hermes in Paris three weeks ago and were told that one had to register one's name for a lottery if one wanted to have an a...
Wow, thank you for sharing this.
I had no idea about this practice. I can understand from Hermes standpoint that if there truly is limited supply that a process has to be followed but this feels…. unduly painful. Where I take issue is that you and I both know if you were of an assumed “c...
Agreed but
such sales tactics can do two things - one, some will shy away and two, it will make the brand even more desirable. In the case of Hermes, I believe it is the latter. The same with many watch brands.
Don’t disagree but I think it depends on the type of person…
I understand why you and your wife would have wanted to enter the lottery as it’s relatively light touch - you put your name down and see if you get the call (no different to a waiting list), that being said if I had an inkling they were doing it simply t...
It would be pure guess work on my part
to know how Hermes decides on the daily lottery but it is sad in my opinion that such a practise takes place. In my opinion, they should entertain any customer interested in one of their bags. That does not mean they should sell one to every customer who ...
Congrats…I think you will like the CODE more than you think…
And enjoy the RO at the same time. Both watches are spectacular, but I am super happy with my CODE burgundy Congrats and cross fingers on a fast delivery! Peter ...
Thanks Peter!
I particularly the strap on your Code 11.59 which contrasts well against the dial of the watch.
Thanks! Make sure to get your pick of straps!
It seems that there are wonderful options to choose from. I’ve seen your blue one on a white Kevlar and it looks and feels fantastic especially for hot tropical days Cheers Peter
Thanks for the suggestion Peter but
I am quite happy with the black velcro strap in the photo that to me looks quite cool too.
I bought a burgundy code for similar reasons. To advance my profile. I was never specifically asked to do that and already had some ROs but felt like I needed another purchase
to get some other pieces that I want. Somehow the code is now the watch I wear the most out of all my APs. On paper it has many things i dislike such as a 4.30 date and a rather large 41mm diameter for a strap watch yet I find myself wearing it more than ...
The Code 11:59 you purchased is beautiful.
Like others have said, I am certain you will be very happy having the Code in your collection. The Royal Oak in that stunning blue is worth playing their game.
Many thanks for your kind comments!
I too think that the Code 11.59 may be overshadowed by the Royal Oak but is quite a handsome watch in its own right.
The times are changed and to purchase a watch you not really want before getting your dream watch is so strange for me .
I do understand thats the new norm nowadays but I refuse to play that game tbh . Thats why i love the independents so much however we see (FPJ - Moser etc ) that things start to change there too . I really hope you will get your RO my friend . The 11.59 i...
Like you my friend, I too shall never stop loving the independent brands
particularly the smaller ones. I seldom buy watches from the more established watch houses these days not just because the watches frequently seem unavailable but also because many of the designs are less appealing to me compared to the independents. But ...
Do you have a wristshot of the code 11.59? Not at all an unappealing watch..
I might actually like it better than your preferred RO.. even the date placement doesn’t bug me. As for bending one’s own rule, well, it is what it is. No judgments here
They did not have the white gold model to try on
but I do have a wrist shot of the rose gold model with the blue dial. ...
Absolutely!
All the dial colours offered on the Code 11.59 are actually more subtle in reality.
Thanks for saying so!
I too am obviously a fan of the great Roger Smith and I only wish he increased production so that more people would get to enjoy his masterpieces.
Turned down the 1159 chrono
and ever since it’s been radio silence from the AD They were keen I “develop my relationship with the brand”.. That’s after I bought an offshore too and purchased a Royal Oak back in the days before the insanity. I’m getting too old to care about relation...
I guess it all bores down to how badly we want a particular watch
Sometimes a watch is not the do all and end all and there exist other alternatives. Sometimes though, we might come across a piece we cannot do without. This of course rarely happens but for me the light blue Royal Oak is such a watch.
i bought the WG code .....
...burgundy dial for a similar reason, that is to get another RO. honestly, i do not care about the code at all and i'll just pop it into the safe when it comes, forget about it, and wait for the RO:: )) the date window at 4:30 is a no-go-for-wearing for ...
Thank you Peter for your feedback!
May I ask how long did you have to wait for the Code 11.59 and when was this? There used to be a time when one could walk into AP and buy a Code 11.59 on the spot but that unfortunately this is not the case any longer. And how long have you been waiting f...
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