A. Lange & Söhne expands Audrain Concours partnership with 185 cars at Fort Adams
The watchmaker showcased its chronograph collection at the relocated vintage-car competition in Rhode Island, which drew a record field.
On October 4, the Audrain Newport Concours d’Elegance moved to a new home at Fort Adams in Newport, Rhode Island, drawing 185 entries—a record for the event, according to A. Lange & Söhne. The former coastal fortification, named for President John Adams, hosted the competition for the first time.
A 1938 Delahaye 165 Figoni et Falaschi Cabriolet belonging to the Pearl Collection won the Vanderbilt Cup. Wilhelm Schmid, chief executive of the Saxon watchmaker, presented the award along with honours in additional categories including 30 Under 30 and Timeless Luxury.
Chronographs on Display
The watchmaker has grown its presence at concours events globally. It has backed the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este on Lake Como for 15 years and the Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace for nine years. The Audrain partnership is now in its fourth year, connecting what both the watchmaker and the concours describe as shared commitments to heritage, craft, and design that endures.
A. Lange & Söhne installed a gallery at the 2026 event displaying 13 chronograph models made since 1999. A craftsperson from the company’s Glashütte manufacture performed live hand-engraving of balance cocks, a decorative technique with roots in German watchmaking from the 1800s.
The Manufacture’s History and Scale
Ferdinand Adolph Lange founded the company in 1845 and built a reputation for precision pocket watches that remain sought by collectors. After World War II, the business was seized and the brand name nearly disappeared from the market. Walter Lange, Ferdinand’s great-grandson, rebuilt the enterprise in 1990.
The manufacture now produces a few thousand wristwatches each year, predominantly in gold or platinum. Since the 1990 revival, it has developed 77 calibres. Notable pieces include the LANGE 1, which was among the first regularly produced wristwatches to feature an outsized date aperture, and the ZEITWERK, known for its precisely jumping numeral display. The ODYSSEUS, released in 2019 in stainless steel, opened a new segment for the brand.
Craft and Precision
Schmid connected the concours mission to the watchmaker’s ethos.
This article was compiled by the CityLifeBytes editorial desk from the official announcements and reporting listed under Sources.
