Chopard Mille Miglia 2018 Race Edition
An eloquent modern homage to vintage motorcar racing
“The Chopard group is one of the last family companies in the luxury watch and jewellery industry,” says Karl-Friedrich Scheufele. “And that makes us unique in today’s corporate world.” As well as being Chopard’s co-president, Scheufele also oversees the company’s manufacture in Fleurier, Switzerland, and the 2,000-plus staff responsible for developing and refining the company’s signature style — at the forefront of which is the Mille Miglia Racing Colours collection.
As the rally’s partner and the official timekeeper since 1988, Chopard has a long and fruitful relationship with the 1,000 Miglia, as the event is now known since the original Mille Miglia ended in 1957 over safety issues, and it’s no mere brand sponsorship. “I have a passion for fine mechanics and take a strong interest in classic cars,” Scheufele says. “For the past 30 years, I took part in the ‘Mille Miglia’ myself.” The Racing Colours collection comes in five different colours, each representing the various major competing nations. “Grey-white that symbolises Germany’s ‘silver arrows’,” says Scheufele. “British racing green for the United Kingdom, vintage blue for the French Bugattis and Talbots, speed yellow for Belgium, similar to their national flag, and lastly rosso corsa — ‘racing red’ — for Italy.”
As with the cars of the 1,000 Miglia rally, the 2018 Race Edition — limited to 1,000 pieces in steel and just 100 in a steel and 18k rose gold combination — is simultaneously visually pleasing and technically impressive. The 42mm case houses both an engine-turned anthracite dial featuring an inverted “panda”-style layout with triple counters inspired by vintage dashboards, and a COSC-certified self-winding movement with a 42-hour power reserve. Discretely visible below the Chopard name is the red 1,000 Miglia logo at 12 o’clock and a date window is placed between the four and five o’clock markers. The motoring tributes continue on the crown which is notched like a petrol cap and embossed with a steering wheel while the chrono-pushers deliberately resemble pistons. The result; a state-of-the-art chronograph celebrating the golden age of motoring.
£4,540; chopard.com