AUDRAIN CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE
Platinum ALS Datograph with matching Wellendorff bracelet. A rare sight.
This being an event sponsored by A. Lange & Sohne, this particular post is a little heavy with the ALS features. But it is perhaps an interesting opportunity to compare a few things outside the world of watches to a few within the world of watches.
To present an interest in things not made in Germany, please appreciate the Ferrari 275 GTB above. Simply lovely.
Also in attendance was this extraordinary 212 Export with Berlinetta coachwork fromVignale, chassis 0080e. This car has been well documented on the opposite coast attending Monterey. What a delightful thing it is.
Ferrari was not the only brand augmented by coachbuilders at the show. The concept of coach building is one that has changed a great deal since the creation of the 212 below. Today we have “resto mods” and shops like Pininfarina still exist but not to the same extent. Vignale was a builder that gained significant traction in its day by building Ferrari’s. Rod Emory was a perfect guest of honor at Audrain with these historic examples of coach building excellence present. He is perhaps one of the closest car builders to what coach building once was. Like a coachbuilder, he works with clients to make his vision work with their desires for a car originated by a third party.
The automotive world has basically been always connected to the watch world because the clientele has always been the same. When autos were a luxury, the people who could afford them bought them. That same group were pretty much the first to also wear wristwatches. As wristwatches and autos became tools, again the user of both were the same person. Enamel and gold cased pocket watch and an early Bentley became a field watch in a Jeep.
That being said the collector of autos is not always a collector of watches and vis versa. Sometimes both but not always.
At the Audrain you will find many who enjoy both. This being a datograph year, there were plenty to be seen.
Ref. 403.032
The presence of Datograph’s was not surprising but the pink gold watch with a silver dial was indeed unusual. If someone owns a Datograph you can almost always assume it will have a dark dial, though there was a period where Lange was producing a few dials, including the one above. There are a lot of photos of these lighter dials but many of them exist on dealer sites that don’t communicate the exquisite contrast of the sundials that comes in and out of view depending on the light.
ALS brought a long-time engraver, Peter, to speak with their collectors and indicate who had engraved the balance cock of their watch. Peter also was equipped to demonstrate his engraving skill right then and there.
Peter’s engraving chisels.
A significant portion of the cars on display were Rod Emory creations. These cars have won many hearts but the detail of the craftsmanship done by the Emory shop is indeed hard to communicate through a screen. They have perfectly blended the lines of restoration and modification and it is no wonder they are as coveted as they are.
In attendance was John Oates’ personal car he commissioned with Emory. Pictured below in a specially mixed color similar to agate grey with removable roof that blends convertible and coupe. Emory and Oates were on stage for seminar discussing the history of the Emory family business starting with Rod’s father’s auto shop in Southern California. Some of Emory senior’s creations were on the lawn amongst the 356’s.
Signature to Emory’s creations are period style hood straps, Louvre cuts, aerodynamic and weight reducing modifications.
All photos credit Skylyr Cieply.