Chopard’s launch of a new Mille Miglia chronograph is a fixture in the annual calendar of watchmaking events. Since 1988, the Swiss manufacturer has been deeply involved in the Mille Miglia as a partner of the vintage car event which runs from Brescia to Rome and fans affectionately call “la corsa più bella del mondo” (“the most beautiful race in the world”).
A classy and stylish companion to this legendary event, the Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph is forged from Chopard’s own eco-friendly surgical steel alloy, Lucent Steel, which is harder than conventional steel and has a distinctive sheen. Other distinctive features of the 40.5mm case include the mushroom-shaped and knurled chronograph pushers, which enhance the vintage look and feel, and the thin bezel, which allows for great visibility of the dial.
Speaking of the dial, this year’s edition features a particularly special one. Taking strong cues from the automotive world and inspired by racing cars, Chopard’s Karl-Friedrich Scheufele designed a two-tone dial with a circular satin-finish silver-colored base punctuated by snail-shaped black counters. Named “La Gara” (the Italian word for “the race” or “the competition”), this dial echoes the colors of the checkered flag waved at the end of a motor race to salute the first car to cross the finish line. The three black counters, the shape of the hands and the Arabic numerals are also a nod to the characteristic design of classic car dashboards. The central sweep seconds hand has a red tip, both for practical and aesthetic reasons – and to complement the famous red “1000 Miglia” logo that appears on every dial.
The white minute track and tachymeter scale – essential elements for calculating speed and distance – are both prominent, while the dial markers and the hour and minute hands are coated with white Grade XI Super-LumiNova to ensure high legibility. The same goes for the box-shaped sapphire crystal, which also allows light to enter through the sides.
The sapphire crystal case-back reveals a self-winding chronograph movement certified by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute and endowed with a 54-hour power reserve. As always at Chopard, the movement is finished to the highest standards and features beautiful decorations such as perlage, blued screws, and Geneva stripes on the oscillating weight.
The Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph is attached to a perforated leather strap reminiscent of driving gloves and retails for $9,350.
To learn more, visit Chopard, here.
