A version of this story first appeared in Revolution Magazine USA, Issue 77

For the past five years, as the warmth of summer gives way to the crisp cool air of autumn, a rumbling can be heard throughout the picturesque town of Newport, Rhode Island. But the distant thunder is not the sound of inclement weather, nor is it the barrage of waves upon the rocks of the iconic Cliff Walk. Instead, the incoming deluge is a parade of hundreds of world-class vintage, classic and modern cars descending upon the oceanside town in the form of the Audrain Newport Concours and Motor Week.

This multiday event, set against the golden age backdrop of Newport, is a celebration of motorsport, history and elegance, culminating in the Concours d’Elegance presented by none other than German watchmaker A. Lange & Söhne. This is Lange’s second year as the presenting sponsor of this world-class car show, but it is certainly not its first foray into the vintage motorsport world.

The involvement with the Audrain Newport Concours d’Elegance did not happen in a vacuum, nor did it happen overnight. Instead, it was the result of meticulous selection and planning over the course of 14 years that Lange has been involved with such occasions. Indeed, over that near-decade-and-a-half time span, Lange has been carefully building a calendar of events in which it participates. These shows include the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, which takes place on the magnificent shores of Lake Como, Italy, the Concours of Elegance Germany at Lake Tegernsee, Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace in the U.K., and of course the Audrain Newport Concours and Motor Week.

Start Your Engines

Throughout the course of the event, there were ample opportunities for guests and local residents alike to enjoy and experience the many phenomenal cars that come to town, as well as touring the renowned Audrain Auto Museum, should they so choose. But the real festivities kicked off with The Gathering, a luxurious garden party hosted on the grounds of the magnificent and historic Doris Duke estate, Rough Point, where vintage vehicular gems and modern hyper car marvels met. Manufacturers like Aston Martin, McLaren and Cadillac (to name but a few) showcased and unveiled their latest and greatest.

It was also the first opportunity for the horologically inclined attendees to experience Lange’s timepieces. Lange’s director of product development Anthony De Haas was on hand to present some of the brand’s latest novelties and highlighted timepieces. Guests mingled about with German beer and warm pretzels (courtesy of the brand, of course), gazing longingly at the magnificent watches with bedroom-wall worthy cars in their periphery. As clients and newcomers alike began to extend their wrists from beneath their cuffs, discussing the watches they were wearing or aspiring to wear, they were joined by none other than Jay Leno, himself the recent recipient of his first Lange timepiece — the Lange 1 Time Zone in white gold with a dashing black dial made from pure silver. An auspicious beginning to the automotive weekend to be certain.

The following day began with cars, coffee and a showcasing of the Audrain Youngtimers — the collector class reserved for car collectors and enthusiasts on limited budgets and under the age of 30. As the sun rose over Newport, the streets roared to life with the Tour d’Elegance, a parade of all of the cars which would be shown the next day at the main event, the Concours d’Elegance. Rare and important cars abounded — Porsches, Ferraris, Maseratis and more.

That evening, a charity gala and dinner was held to celebrate the event and raise the necessary funds for the operation of the Audrain Museum and the continuation of the event in subsequent years. It was a jubilant, ’80s prom-themed evening, celebrating the efforts of those involved in the organization and execution of the week, a significant portion of which was dedicated to the honoring of Audrain Group CEO Donald Osborne on the eve of his retirement. The main event would follow the next morning.

The Concours d’Elegance

The Breakers stands amongst the grandest estates of Newport, a symbol of the Gilded Age, positioned prominently at the culmination of the famous Cliff Walk. Upon the lawn and extended grounds of this most extravagant of summer retreats, a multitude of the finest vintage and antique automobiles found themselves on shimmering display. From the terrace of The Breakers, A. Lange & Söhne had built an elegant and prominent pop-up of sorts, displaying some of its finest and most notable timepieces of late — rare Lange 1s and Datographs, including the museum-worthy Datograph Handwerkskunst. Sales associates were on hand to greet inquiring visitors while a watchmaker demonstrated his expertise towards the back. Naturally, a VIP area extended along the terrace for special guests of Lange to enjoy a catered lunch of German fare — bratwurst, schnitzel, spätzle and beer.

The grounds of the Concours d’Elegance were buzzing with guests and exhibitors alike, the great equalizer among them a love of and excitement for the magnificently cared for cars which were on display. The ambience of the day was steeped in joy, without the slightest sense of pretension or snobbishness, with enthusiasts of all ages milling about, reacting to and remarking upon the overwhelming number of absolutely incredible cars on hand. Hoods were popped, driver-side doors opened and historical details enthusiastically shared with any and all who would listen.

The Place Where Passions Meet

Now, to be clear there’s nothing especially egalitarian about a six-, seven- or eight-figure car, in much the same way as a high five- or six-figure watch. But at the exact same time, there is something that is very open, welcoming and even approachable about the tone of the Audrain Newport Week. Sure, one does need to buy a ticket, but there are means of access available to virtually every level of enthusiast. The point being, if you possess the desire and the passion, there is a route to enjoy the week — it is not all reserved for VIPs or barricaded behind some velvet rope.

The spheres of interest between the horological world and the automotive world overlap significantly (the Venn diagram would certainly be an oval, if not a slightly off-kilter circle). Indeed, a vast majority of, though certainly not all, watch collectors are car enthusiasts on some level and vice versa. For Lange, it’s a natural synergy, or as CEO Wilhelm Schmid put it, “These Concours of Elegance and all that, [focus on a] sort of mechanical art, which is very much what we think we do.”

It’s certainly true, as natural a pairing as haute cuisine and fine wine. High levels of horological prowess, engineering and artistry elevate a purely utilitarian machine to the level of high art. Those who are inclined to appreciate the somewhat archaic practice of mechanical timekeeping will likely find something to appreciate at an event like the Concours d’Elegance.

But the thing that seems to immediately differentiate this event from others of a similar fair, is the absence of any sense of off-putting exclusivity. It is not necessarily what one might expect, especially coming from other similarly elevated Concours. But in a very poignant way, this too represents a strong parallel between the Audrain Newport Concours d’Elegance and Lange itself.

You see, as we at Revolution have previously discussed to a significant length, Lange has been undergoing a year-long process of refining ( i.e. limiting) its retail network, dramatically overhauling the nature of its interactions and relationships with customers both existing and potential. Much like the open road, it has not been without its bumps, but the driving factor behind it is very much a noble one (I cannot promise there will not be more motoring puns ahead so… best buckle up).

The fundamental desire is to improve the quality of the experience of anyone who would express their interest in the brand. While the price or production quantity of Lange’s watches may result in unavailability, that is not a motivation of the company in any way, shape or form. There is no desire by the brand to cultivate a persona of inaccessibility or to have its watches remain tantalizingly out of reach.

It is, instead, a simple result of the watches themselves, limited and exceedingly well finished by definition. They are, by their very nature, exclusive products, but to those who are interested in these watches, be it for purchase or appreciation, the doors are open. You don’t need to be in the market for a 250 GTO to appreciate one or attend the Audrain, nor do you need to have a world-class watch collection, or the accompanying bank account, to appreciate what Lange creates. That sentiment is as true at its boutiques and salons as it is at an event like the Audrain Newport.

Throughout the entire weekend, perhaps the single most palpable dynamic amongst the team from Lange was just how enthusiastic and joyful they all were to be there. Now, at first blush that is no surprise, after all, it’s a beautiful place with beautiful cars. But their enthusiasm was driven by having the opportunity to really meet the attendees of the Concours — to share their passion and enthusiasm for their watches with new potential clients and budding enthusiasts and genuinely connect with their existing clients and guests.

Further on up the Road

For A. Lange & Söhne, 2024 will likely go down as a consequential year. It began with the celebration of the 25th anniversary of its groundbreaking chronograph, the Datograph. Several limited edition pieces have been released in the course of the year to celebrate this seminal collection, including the 125-piece limited edition Datograph Up/Down in white gold with blue dial, the 50-piece limited edition Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon Lumen in Honeygold, and culminating in the Datograph Handwerkskunst. The latter is a watch of staggering beauty and immense technicality, owing to the astounding hand finished “tremblage” dial.

But that is not where the celebrations end. For it was also on October 24, 2024 (a marvelous and ironically symmetrical date), that Lange celebrated the 30th anniversary of its most emblematic timepiece — the Lange 1. To celebrate the occasion, Lange released four stunning versions of its most iconic watch, with two versions available in rose gold with deep, denim blue dials, and two versions available in platinum with jet-black onyx dials.

The color and material combinations are classic Lange, reserved for rare and special occasions — tasteful iterations on a treasured design. A less mature brand may have been tempted to do something more dramatic, more headline catching or, one shudders to think, trendy. But Lange has not succumbed to any such temptations.

On the contrary, the message sent by the release of these timepieces is crystal clear to those intimate with the brand — A. Lange & Söhne knows exactly who it is and exactly who it wants to be. In such a monumental year, as the brand gazes back over the past three decades, undoubtedly keeping its focus on the next, it is clear that there is no risk of Lange losing touch with that which makes it special. Or, as Anthony De Haas has perfectly summarized, “I think it’s very important, if you’re successful, to keep your feet on the floor. It’s good to stick to what we’re good at and who we are, and if people love what we do, it’s because of what we do and who we are.”