A New Chapter for the Audrain Concours

The 2026 Audrain Newport Concours d’Elegance, held on the 4th of October 2026 at Fort Adams in Newport, RI, established a new record number of cars on the field for Autumn’s most prominent vintage car concours competition. The Saxon manufacture put a dash of timekeeping history – the Lange chronograph collection – against the backdrop of some of the world’s finest automobiles at the former home of the America’s Cup.

A. Lange & Söhne supports a carefully curated selection of Concours d’Elegance competitions around the globe. With 15 years of sponsorship of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este on the shores of Lake Como, Italy, and nine-year partnership with the Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace in the UK, and four-year affiliation with the Audrain Newport Concours d’Elegance, the manufacture has displayed a deep commitment to the preservation of concours culture and the shared values of both worlds: tradition, craftsmanship, and timeless design.

Uncharted Territories

2026 marked a landmark edition of the Audrain Newport Concours d’Elegance, as 185 automobiles vied for top honours and a record number of cars were displayed on the field. The competition unfolded for the first time at Fort Adams, a venue named for former U.S. President John Adams and worthy of its distinction as America’s largest coastal fortification. Taking home the Vanderbilt Cup for “Best of Show” was a meticulously preserved 1938 Delahaye 165 Figoni et Falaschi Cabriolet from the Pearl Collection, awarded by A. Lange & Söhne CEO Wilhelm Schmid. Schmid was also on hand to present awards to the winners of the “30 Under 30” and “Timeless Luxury” categories. The winning vehicles in these categories exemplify a refusal to compromise on demanding the highest level of quality in every detail.

“There are no shortcuts to excellence,” says Lange CEO Wilhelm Schmid. “The fact that so many of these automobiles are as appealing today as the moment they were launched 60 or more years ago tells a story of designers, engineers, and owners whose combined skill, dedication to craft and passion created something more than just a car. We’re proud of our affiliation with the Audrain Concours and have enjoyed watching it grow over the years while staying true to its mission to celebrate automotive tradition, heritage and craftsmanship. And we hope that our distinctly German approach to fine watchmaking inspires the same enduring fascination as the timeless masterpieces on the field.”

The Art of Short-Time Measurement

As Newport, RI, is no stranger to motorsport – it was the location of the first American car circuit race – it is perhaps no surprise that the chronograph is in its natural habitat at the Audrain Concours. But Lange’s chronograph collection goes beyond motorsport – it represents a quest for perfection that combines elegance in movement construction and exceptional design with groundbreaking chronograph features.

At the 2026 Audrain Newport Concours d’Elegance, A. Lange & Söhne presented a gallery featuring its diverse portfolio of high-end chronographs. Guests were able to discover Lange’s modern classic – the DATOGRAPH – while also exploring the latest edition to its chronograph collection – the TRIPLE SPLIT in 950 platinum, a watch with the capability to measure intermediate times and comparative times over a period of up to twelve hours. Through an experience celebrating these and more of Lange’s 13 chronograph models since 1999, enthusiasts gained insight into the many ways in which these advanced chronographs are at home amongst the most extraordinary automobiles ever built. Complementing the technical sophistication on display in the gallery, an engraver from Lange’s Glashütte manufacture invited visitors to engage with a live demonstration of the intricate artistry behind Lange’s hand-engraved balance cocks, a defining feature of Saxon watchmaking since the mid-nineteenth century.