Cars, Chronographs And A. Lange & Söhne At Audrain Concours

There are certain pairings that simply make sense, and exceptional watches and extraordinary automobiles have long been among them. A. Lange & Söhne underscored that connection this past weekend as presenting sponsor of the 2026 Audrain Newport Concours d’Elegance, where the German watchmaker put its chronograph expertise on display against a backdrop of some of the world’s finest collector cars.

I attended the Audrain Concours with A. Lange & Söhne several years ago and can attest that it is one of those events that manages to feel both important and genuinely enjoyable. Newport itself provides a spectacular setting, and the combination of serious collectors, remarkable automobiles and fine watchmaking makes for a pretty compelling weekend.

This year’s edition brought a change of scenery. For the first time, the Concours was held at historic Fort Adams, the former home of the America’s Cup and America’s largest coastal fortification. It was also a record-setting year, with 185 automobiles competing and a record number of cars displayed on the field.

Taking home the Vanderbilt Cup for Best of Show was a meticulously preserved 1938 Delahaye 165 Figoni et Falaschi Cabriolet from the Pearl Collection. A. Lange & Söhne CEO Wilhelm Schmid presented the award and also honored the winners of the “30 Under 30” and “Timeless Luxury” categories.

From Horsepower to High Watchmaking

For A. Lange & Sohne, though, the weekend was also an opportunity to turn the spotlight on another form of precision engineering: watchmaking. And particularly its expertise in the chronograph.

The brand created a dedicated gallery showcasing its chronograph portfolio, which now encompasses 13 models introduced since 1999. Among the watches on display were the Datograph and the recently introduced platinum Triple Split. Visitors could also watch one of Lange’s engravers demonstrate the hand engraving of its signature balance cocks.

The Triple Split was a particular highlight—and deservedly so. I recently wrote about the new platinum version when it was unveiled, and mechanically it remains something of an outlier even eight years after the original Triple Split made its debut.

The watch takes the traditional split-seconds chronograph considerably further. Its three pairs of hands allow it to measure intermediate and comparative times in seconds, minutes and hours for events lasting as long as 12 hours. It also incorporates a flyback function. The new version houses that considerable complexity in a 43.2mm platinum case with a rhodium-colored dial, darker gray subsidiary dials and contrasting blued rattrapante hands. Limited to 100 pieces, it is powered by the manually wound Caliber L132.1, composed of 567 parts.

That level of mechanical engineering feels particularly appropriate at a concours where so much attention is paid not only to how a car looks, but also to what lies beneath the hood.

As Schmid noted, “There are no shortcuts to excellence.” He went on to point to the skill, craftsmanship and passion that have enabled great automobiles to remain compelling more than 60 years after their creation—the same sort of longevity A. Lange & Sohne strives for in its watches.