On April 12th, the CODE41 X41 will go on sale. And that for the sixth time. From the very first Creator Edition in March 2019 to Edition 5 in June 2021, a total of 1,850 X41s were sold, which corresponds to a total turnover of almost 10 million Swiss francs – another edition is only logical.
The sixth edition comes with the well-known features such as a titanium or AeroCarbon case and a caliber with a peripheral rotor. At the same time, CODE41 has worked out a very special variant: An X41 in a case made of sapphire glass (!) – a feature that is otherwise only found in models over €50,000…
Key data of the CODE41 X41 (Edition 6):
- 100% Swiss designed, manufactured and assembled automatic movement with peripheral winding, 45 hour power reserve, 28,800 bph, accuracy -2 to +10 seconds per day (tested and regulated in 5 positions)
- Diameter: 42mm / Height: 11.7mm
- Housing made of sapphire glass (!) or titanium grade 5 or carbon
- Sapphire crystal on front and back
- Water resistance 10 bar
- Strap: leather or rubber, lug width 24mm / strap exchange possible without tools
- Price (6th edition): from 5443 euros
- Pre-orders open April 12, 2022, directly at watchesukuk.com
CODE41 X41 Edition 6 – made of carbon, titanium and sapphire glass
As with the previous editions of the CODE41 X41, the Edition 6 is again available in carbon or titanium housings. Since the carbon housings are produced from carbon fiber blocks from Toulouse, Europe’s aerospace hub, CODE41 appropriately named the material AeroCarbon.
The titanium version that can also be purchased is titanium grade 5, which is significantly lighter and, at around 350 Vickers, also significantly harder than stainless steel. So far, so well known.
For Edition 6, however, CODE41 came up with something that is extremely rare in the world of Replica Watches: sapphire glass. And no, I’m not talking about sapphire crystal to protect the dial (the X41 has that on board anyway). I’m talking about a case made entirely of transparent sapphire crystal.
Not everyone likes sapphire glass as a housing material – the look is very special and much more eye-catching than carbon or titanium, but it fits perfectly with the ultra-modern X41. On the practical side, there is also a big advantage: sapphire glass is considered to be virtually unscratchable – in the everyday life of an Otto Normal watch fan, only concrete can damage the sapphire glass (and diamond – so before the next bath in a diamond bathtub, it’s better to take off the watch first 😉 ).
While sapphire glass is the absolute standard as a cover glass for dials today, only a few manufacturers have dared to use an entire case made of sapphire glass: Since sapphire glass is so hard, production, especially the shaping of the case, is extremely complex and expensive.
During production, the synthetic sapphire is first made on the basis of aluminum oxide. The fusion takes place at over 2000 °C with the addition of hydrogen and oxygen. Similar to a stalagmite, a so-called molten pear, a corundum (crystallized aluminum oxide), forms on the base after around 15 hours. The material is then heated again to 1800 °C to stabilize it. Diamond blades then saw the corundum into blocks. This is followed by the surface treatment, i.e. grinding and “shaping” the housing.
In this respect, CODE41 (as you are used to from the Swiss) is transparent about the costs: the production of a sapphire glass case is 3633€ per piece compared to titanium cases with 172€ whopping 21 times more expensive. This is due in particular to the long time it takes to shape and the special tools required, for example for polishing or drilling.
For comparison: Replica Watches with a sapphire glass case are usually found in the very high-priced (ultra) luxury segment – examples are the Fake Hublot Big Bang Unico Sapphire (€68,000), the Bell & Ross BR 01 Cyber Skull Sapphire (€105,000) or the Richard Mille RM 56-02 Tourbillon Sapphire (over €2 million). As you can see, there is virtually no upper price limit.
The CODE41 X41 in the sapphire glass case is only something for the lavishly filled purse at around €15,000 (depending on the version). As far as I know, it is by far the cheapest Swiss watch with this special feature. This makes this X41 variant an absolute novelty in this price range.
CODE41 is again offering the distinctive R41 bracelet to match the sapphire glass case (along with other strap variants such as leather) – in a transparent version. If that’s “a bit too much” for you, you can also use other colors.
The tape is made of fluoro rubber, FKM for short. The material is considered particularly robust, very flexible and is not a Swiffer for the wrist (as is the case with some other types of plastic). FKM was not originally developed for watch straps, but as a sealing material for military applications. Seals made of FKM are still common today in the aerospace industry and other demanding applications (see e.g. Freudenberg Sealing Technologies).
CODE41 has designed the R41 band so that the middle part sticks out, whereby side slits allow permanent air circulation and the part directly on the skin is minimized. This is very practical in summer to avoid causing sweat under the band – and also looks more than suitable for the modern CODE41 X41. Like all CODE41 tapes, the R41 FKM tape also comes with a tool-free quick-change system.
The new CODE41 X41 Edition 6 also brings new colorways for the bridges that span the skeletonized dial at the top and bottom, providing the distinctive modern (and almost a bit “spacey”) look: green and “rainbow”. As is typical for CODE41, the CODE41 community was actively involved in this regard.
The rainbow bridges were created in collaboration with Positive Coating SA from La Chaux-de-Fonds, a Swiss specialist in the decoration of watch components. Nice: The back of the X41, bridges appropriately in the shape of an “X”, are also kept in rainbow colors.
In addition to the sapphire glass case, the X41 Edition 6 has another unique selling point on board, which significantly distinguishes the model from the competition in this price range and helps shape the characteristic look: An automatic caliber with an inconspicuous, ball-bearing “peripheral” winding mechanism, which seems to be on a kind of rails moves rollers on the outer edge and provides the necessary energy.
Similar to the sapphire glass case, a peripheral winding is also something that very few manufacturers master (e.g. Bulgari or Audemars Piguet). Here, too, there is no end to the prices.
The CODE41 X41 Edition 6 can show its strengths above all in the combination of sapphire glass case and the peripheral caliber, since you have a transparent and largely unobstructed view of the mechanics inside from all sides.
Pre-orders for the X41 Edition 6 will open on Tuesday April 12th for a total of 3 weeks. Delivery is scheduled for early 2023.