Mr King, It’s refreshing to a positive review, even if it’s served with a side of caviar. I recently purchased a Code 11.59 mostly because I’m a contrarian. Out of the chaff, a few comments remain consistent: you have to see and hold one to truly appreciate it. I’m glad I took a flyer, that is indeed the case.

Let me start by stating that I own an AP Code Chrono, latest gen in purple and rose gold. I also own some 120 other watches that most readers and even some journalists may wet themselves over. As far as I am concerned, it is no big deal to wear a 50K watch (unless in London, where I keep it out of sight. I don’t feel safe there). I nearly bought the tourbillon instead, though I love the appliqué logo on the dial of the chrono, so the tourbillon was out, for now.

So pour scorn on me, tell me I’m just protecting my investment, but I really don’t care. 50K is a drop in the ocean, I couldn’t care a fig about resale prices…

May people hated the Royal Oak when it was released. Many people hate HoDinkee (I see what you did there) and I hate it when journalists add a redundant ‘the’ article to the words ‘hoi polloi’, given that the article is in the phrase already.

I’m no journalist (this much is obvious, since I can pay my utility bills) but I can clearly tell that to a man, not one detractor of the new Codes has actually seen one up close and personal. Granted, the older dials are somewhat heinous, but the new ones are glorious. The construction exquisite and the mechanism sublime. I love telling Royal Oak smatterers I meet that, a) I have lots of Royal Oaks, b) I don’t pay over retail for them because I’m a preferred client and c) I wear my Code anyway, because I prefer it.

I also love me a nice Vacheron, so I am not a brand loyalist, or whatever the term is. I’d just hazard a guess that if anyone of you actually saw a Code chrono in the flesh, you’d love it too. The flying buttress lugs, the concave and vertically polished sapphire and the lightly smoked dial, none of these are done justice by online adverts and photos, which is as close as most proletariat get to these watches anyway.

One more thing. I can’t stand Bollinger Bolsheviks. Pick your side and own it.

PS : I agree that the ineluctable conclusion ia that HoDinkee might as well be on their payroll.

PPS : In order to be fair and balanced, I would have preferred the watch under 40mm.

It’s too kind to claim that this was designed as an obligatory screening step for prospective flagship purchasers. That would mean they tried to fail and succeeded. It was meant to be at least a contender to the throne. But then it immediately played out as described above.

Thank you for that comment. Seriously. And please note I only delete comments that flame other commentators. That’s all.

Even after having had a previous comment censored, because apparently that’s how even free watching hating blogs roll now, we’ll give you one more shot. (try not to have your inner Musssolini triggered, now, lest your still trying to get a job at your grail blog, Hodinkee)

That watch sucks. If you ever wanted to make a watch hater blog (of which you did a fine job, certainly), this would be the headliner.

And yet, the main fault of it is terrible marketing. Had they made it “boutique only” and “sold out” and “waitlist” while giving a few to whoever wears the most pastel colored RM these days, it would have been a total hit. Especially if they’d left out all the extremely nauseating self congratulatory circle jerk of their own grandeness for the launch.

I’d want that watch to succeed. It’d be the ultimate testimony to the eternal sheepledom of humanity, and popcorn hilarious to see the Instagram ‘flex’ posts and forum threads discussing their latest ‘incoming 1159s’.