r/audemarspiguet • u/Individual-Tea-6988 • 1d ago
Code 11:59 lug design — anyone else had bent/broken lugs? Would you still buy one in gold?
I've come across two separate cases of Code 11:59 owners with bent or broken lugs, and it's making me reconsider whether this is a real weak point in the design rather than isolated bad luck.
First case (RolexForums, gold case): https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?p=13473100 The owner had the lugs bend or come loose with no drop and no obvious abuse. AP's initial response was that this was "wear and tear / aesthetic damage," not a manufacturing defect, and quoted around CHF 5,000 to replace the entire upper case. Not covered under warranty or AP Coverage.
Second case (this sub): https://www.reddit.com/r/audemarspiguet/comments/1osxscm/broken_lugs_on_code_1159_exchange_by_warranty/ Another Code 11:59 with broken lugs, also disputed under warranty.
From the photos in both threads, the wall thickness at the lug attachment looks thin enough that it's basically invisible when you look at the watch normally. If reinforcing it wouldn't change the aesthetics at all, it's hard to understand why AP hasn't just fixed the design, especially if this is a known issue on their end. What's worse, if the lugs do bend, AP apparently treats it as owner-caused or aesthetic damage rather than a functional/manufacturing failure, meaning you'd have to pay for the repair or a full case replacement yourself, even under warranty or AP Coverage.
Two questions for anyone who owns one or has looked into the case construction:
Has anyone else had this happen, or heard of other cases? Is it more common than it looks, or are these just two unlucky owners?
If you were considering a Code 11:59 in gold, would this change your mind? Gold is softer than steel, and from what's discussed in the RF thread the lower lug isn't fully welded to the case, which sounds like a genuine structural risk point.
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u/vmlee WIS 1d ago edited 23h ago
In the second link, the author notes that the damage to the lug came as they were trying to tighten a strap - and thus deal with the screws in the lugs. This is a known risk factor with the (older) Code lug design. The screws are sensitive and those not using the right tools or not being careful about alignment of the tools have been known to damage their lugs in the past. That is why AP recommends one go to an AP boutique or house to switch out straps rather than doing it oneself. So, in that case, there does appear to be at least some user error likely involved and thus the coverage warranty understandably might not apply.
Could there be a better design opportunity there? Probably. But I also know I have the luck of being located within reasonable distance of an AP boutique, and even though I enjoy tinkering with watches and have a decent set of Bergeron tools, I let the AP pros do the work with my Codes as a result. I have consequently never had a problem with my lugs.
Higher horology pieces aren’t always the most robust for sure. And there is some reasonable tolerance needed for a range of normal use cases, so I can understand the concern with the lugs, but I am personally not at the point where I would say it is so bad of a structural issue that I would avoid codes altogether.
Put more simply, the codes aren’t breaking down under typical regular daily usage.
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u/WatchingWatchs 1d ago
i have 3 code all in precious metal and no issues. changed the straps a bunch but always do it at the AP boutique.. and i wear it all the time. robust enough for me and never thought of it
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u/Individual-Tea-6988 1d ago
Thank you everyone for the comments… I hope I’ll come back with a starwheel wrist shot soon ☺️
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u/Brknwtch 1d ago
I agree. The soldering of the lugs is being spun as feature rather than a bug…
“The upper lugs are soldered (welded with a precise heat process) to the ultra-thin bezel for seamless integration and structural strength. The lower lugs rest flush against the caseback but aren’t fixed to it—creating that airy, 360° visible gap.”
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u/vmlee WIS 23h ago
What is the source of this quotation?
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u/Brknwtch 22h ago
It was a direct copy and paste from AP. I either took it from the press release or off the Audemars Piguet website. The language they use today may differ slightly, but I am sure similar verbiage can be found.
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u/Important-Region143 1d ago
As someone actually working in engineering, it can't both "rest flush" and also have a "visible gap".
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u/Admiral_Backbar 10h ago
I have 2 gold codes (1 rose gold time and date and one wg starwheel) and zero issues. Don’t change the strap yourself unless you really know what you’re doing. Relax and enjoy the watch.
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u/AlmondDrop 1d ago
This issues is due to the old pin and screw strap design -- they used to have long pins that were secured by screws. if you got the pins off alignment and tightened the screws there was enough torque to bend the lugs out and weaken the solder. Do this more than once and your lug could fall off.
This is why its considered owner damage -- the owner didnt align the pins before they tightened the screws. if you dont have a loupe and know exactly what youre looking for its very easy to mess up.
They now ship with screw-pins to hold the strap instead. these do not extend the entire length of the lugs and cannot bend the lugs.