RACE ON
Chopard’s partnership with Mille Miglia enters its 30th year, and three limited-edition timepieces have been created to mark the milestone, discovers
CHOPARD’S 30- YEAR PARTNERSHIP with Mille Miglia, an annual Italian classic car rally with an eponymous 1,000 mile-long course, didn’t happen by chance or coincidence. Instead, the longevity of this relationship is a function of the passion and dedication of the brand’s co-president Karl-friedrich Scheufele. Scheufele isn’t just a classic car lover and driver, but also an avid racer who has competed numerous times at Mille Miglia, his latest being the 2018 edition in May. His ardour for classic cars and races was instilled by his father Karl Scheufele. This passion runs deep in the family — every member of the Scheufele family has either taken part in or attended Mille Miglia. And this will undoubtedly be passed onto the next generation.
This year, Chopard celebrates its 30th anniversary as the partner and official timekeeper of Mille Miglia with three commemorative Mille Miglia editions. The latest special edition to mark this auspicious moment is the Mille Miglia GTS Power Control Grigio Speziale. This is the newest addition to the Mille Miglia GTS collection Chopard launched in 2015, and comes with Chopard’s very own 01.08-C calibre, again chronometercertified by COSC.
The watch is a blend of old and new. Its oversized numerals on the dial are a clear throwback to car dashboards from the 1950s, while the power reserve indicator at 9 o’clock also draw parallels with petrol gauges of cars from that era. The timepiece’s shot-blasted titanium case and Cordura strap are however decidedly modern, both in terms of aesthetics and their usage in areas requiring high performance. The monochromic colour scheme with dashes of red enhances this to make the watch the most contemporary among the three. Only 1,000 pieces of the Mille Miglia GTS Power Control Grigio Speciale will be produced.
There is also Mille Miglia 2018 Race Edition. Conceived for the gentleman-driver looking to race in style, the watch is a versatile piece with both form and function in spades. This makes it equally suitable as a racing companion on the road in the day, and as a subtle statement at the rally’s receptions and award ceremonies in the evening.
The watch sports various minutiae that hark back to the vintage and classic cars taking part in the rally, beginning with its polished case, which houses an engine-turned dial in anthracite. Note how the three sub-dials are reminiscent of classic engine dashboards, with the indexes, chapter ring, and tachymeter
markings further accentuating this similarity. In the same vein, the crown is designed to resemble a petrol tank cap, while the pushers are shaped like engine pistons. Finally, the watch comes with a strap rendered in perforated black calf leather to match the racing gloves worn at such events. The rubber lining, too, was a deliberate choice, and meant to provide comfort as well as connection to Dunlop racing tyres of the past.
The result is a timepiece that’s classically styled yet sporty. To ensure it serves its intended purpose on the road, care has been taken to ensure the watch’s legibility and reliability. Super-luminova has been applied to the indexes and hands for at-a-glance readability in the dark, for instance, while the case has been built to water-resistance of 50m to ensure performance even in inclement weather. This is all backed by a Cosc-certified chronograph movement that’s selfwinding for hassle-free operation.
Two references of the Mille Miglia 2018 Race Edition are available: The steel version is limited to 1,000 pieces worldwide, while the bi-coloured execution in rose gold and steel sees just 100 pieces being produced.
Finally, the Mille Miglia Racing Colours reinterprets the rally’s colourful history — literally. The series of five is inspired by the system of national colours that was first established in the 1910s to allow competing drivers to identify one another. Italy was assigned the bright red a la rosso corsa; UK the iconic British racing green; Germany, grey-white for the German Silver Arrows; Belgium, Racing Yellow like the one on their flag; and France, Vintage Blue similar to its Bugattis and Talbots.
These have been reproduced in the Mille Miglia Racing Colours’ five references, each sporting a dial in its assigned hue, which is matched by stitching on the leather strap. The watches are otherwise similar to the Mille Miglia 2018 Race Edition, with a polished case to house the COSCcertified automatic chronograph movement. Compared to the dressier Mille Miglia 2018 Race Edition, this quintet is bolder and slightly more playful. For the racing aficionado, this is the chance to wear his heart on his wrist with a timepiece that bears the colour of the team he supports. The hardcore collector will be acquiring all five instead. Just 300 of each in the Mille Miglia Racing Colours will be produced.