A Rose Gold AP Experiment

There are plenty of watches I like. Fewer that actually make me stop doing what I’m doing, zoom in, and think, “Yeah… this is cool as hell.” The Code 11.59 Starwheel has been one of those since it first showed up a few years ago. Now Audemars Piguet has given it a new outfit in rose gold, and it changes the personality of the watch more than I expected.

The Starwheel is already a pretty wild piece of design inside a case that still divides opinions. Putting rose gold into that mix shifts the whole mood from cold and technical to something warmer and with a bit more personality. And honestly, it suits the complication in a surprisingly natural way.

Source: Hodinkee

A Quick Reminder - What The Starwheel Actually Does

Before getting lost in materials and finishes, it’s good to remind ourselves what makes the Starwheel special in the first place. Instead of normal hands, it uses a wandering hours display - a concept that goes back centuries but still feels futuristic when done right.

Three rotating discs carry the hour numerals. These discs are mounted on a central “carousel” that slowly turns. As one disc reaches the top of the dial, its hour aligns with a fixed minute track that spans 120 degrees. Once that hour is done, the next disc swings into place. Underneath each disc is a star-shaped gear that gives the system its name and its characteristic motion.

It sounds complicated, and it looks complicated too - but in daily use it still just tells you hours, minutes, and seconds. That contrast between visual aspects and simple function is a big part of the Starwheel’s charm.

Inside the modern Code 11.59 version, this system is powered by AP’s in-house Calibre 4310 with a healthy 70-hour power reserve. You get a very contemporary movement driving a very old-school idea.

Source: Hodinkee

The Case - Still A Code 11.59, For Better And Worse

The Starwheel sits in the familiar Code 11.59 case, here in full rose gold with a black ceramic mid-case. On paper it measures 41mm across and 10.7mm thick. Those numbers don’t sound extreme, but the visual presence is strong, especially in precious metal.

The ceramic mid-case does a lot of heavy lifting here. It breaks up the mass of the gold and adds contrast between polished warmth and matte darkness. Without it, the watch would feel much heavier visually.

The usual Code 11.59 details are all here - the floating lugs that only attach at the top, the mix of brushing and polishing, and the ceramic crown with a rose gold cap. Love or hate the design, the execution is very high-end. This is one of those cases where you notice new finishing touches every time you look closer.

From some angles, it still looks ultra-modern, almost architectural. From others, it leans closer to traditional round watch proportions. That tension is part of why people still argue about the Code 11.59 line, and also why the Starwheel feels like one of the few versions that really justifies the case’s complexity.

Source: Hodinkee

A Dial That Feels Warmer And Deeper

The biggest change on this rose gold version is the dial treatment. The earlier model used blue aventurine paired with silvery wandering hour discs. This new version switches to black aventurine, while the rotating discs and numerals now match the rose gold tone of the case.

That one move transforms the whole feel. The black aventurine sinks into the background, letting the gold elements do the talking. The tiny metallic flecks in the aventurine are still there, adding one final touch to the entire spectacle.

The hour numerals on the discs look more dimensional in this colour. There’s a subtle texture to them that catches the light differently than before. It’s a small detail, but on a watch like this, small visual changes make a huge impact.

The minute track remains black and white, keeping things legible and giving your eyes somewhere calm to rest amid all that motion. The seconds hand is also finished in rose gold, tying the whole layout together.

Despite everything going on, the layout is still readable once you get used to it. It’s not an “at-a-glance” watch in the traditional sense, but it’s far from chaotic once you understand how the system works.

Source: Hodinkee

On The Wrist - Where The Starwheel Makes Sense

The Code 11.59 has always been one of those watches where a flat, head-on photo doesn’t tell the full story. The Starwheel version especially comes alive when you see it from shifting angles.

With the rose gold case and black ceramic mid-section, the watch feels present without becoming too much. The curved sapphire crystal and layered dial architecture give real depth, and that depth is exactly what suits a wandering hours display.

The black fabric strap lined with rubber helps dress the watch down just enough. Without it, the watch could easily feel too “formal” for what is actually a very experimental, industrial design.

This is not a classic dress watch after all, even in rose gold.

Source: Hodinkee

A Complication That Looks Harder Than It Is

One of my favourite things about the Starwheel is how complicated it looks compared to what it actually does. Most people who see it for the first time assume there’s a whole list of complications hiding inside. In reality, it’s just time - hours, minutes, seconds.

But because the hour display is in constant motion and mounted on a visible mechanical structure, your brain reads it as something far more complex. 

In rose gold, the watch now feels warmer, more expressive, maybe even more emotional than before. It still has that cold, futuristic layout, but now with a human touch added through colour and material.

Source: Hodinkee

Price, Positioning, And Reality

The updated rose gold Starwheel comes in at around €58,000. That’s serious money for a time-only watch, regardless of how exotic the display is. At this level, you’re no longer buying on value alone.

Interestingly, demand for the Starwheel doesn’t seem to be slowing down. Even before this update, it was already one of the harder Code 11.59 models to get through boutiques. And rather than replacing the earlier white gold version, this rose gold model now sits alongside it.

That’s a good sign. It suggests that Audemars Piguet genuinely sees it as part of its modern identity beyond the Royal Oak.

Source: Hodinkee