Magazine
Chopard Mille Miglia: the allure of a chronograph and the timeless elegance of an iconic race
The worlds of watchmaking and motor racing have long been closely intertwined, as enthusiasts well know. Karl Friedrich Scheufele, president of the Swiss maison Chopard, knows this well — combining his passion for exclusive timepieces with a love for the world of four wheels.
The connection between horology and motorsport has always been intimate, as aficionados can certainly attest.
And Karl Friedrich Scheufele, president of the Swiss maison Chopard is well aware of this connection, as he combines his passion for exclusive timepieces with a love for the world of motor racing.
Since 1988, the prestigious Geneva maison’s name has proudly appeared as the official sponsor of what many consider simply "the most beautiful race in the world": the Mille Miglia. Since 1927, this historic race runs from Brescia to Rome and back, and since 1977, only cars that originally participated in the event are allowed to compete — a rule that allows true automotive legends to take part, from the 1927 Alfa Romeo 6C Supersport to the Bentley 3 Litres of the same year, the 1926 Bugatti T37, and many other masterpieces.
Chopard has long dedicated an entire collection to this incredible event, aptly named "Mille Miglia": powerful, vintage-inspired watches that build a bridge between two worlds and two eras. For this year’s race, Chopard presents the limited edition Mille Miglia Race Edition 2021 — an intriguing 44 mm chronograph (COSC-certified), a generous size that allows the classic three contrasting subdials and a date window to be arranged clearly on the metallic grey dial, ensuring excellent readability, essential for a pilot’s watch.
The iconic red arrow Mille Miglia logo highlights the date at 3 o’clock, with red accents echoed in the three chronograph hands and the stitching on the strap.
The bezel features a tachymeter scale - how could it be otherwise? - this allows the wearer to measure the speed over a certain distance.
The perforated calfskin strap recalls the airy driving gloves of worn by race car drivers more than half a century ago, while its rubber lining explicitly references the Dunlop tyres of the 1960s .
Two versions of this captivating Chopard Mille Miglia chronograph are available: one in stainless steel limited to 1,000 pieces, and a more refined model limited to 250 pieces, which pairs steel with ethical rose gold found on the bezel, the crown, and the two generous pump-style pushers.
On the case back of both models, the iconic chequered racing flag is engraved, featuring the "mille Miglia" logo and the inspecption"Brescia - Roma - Brescia" reminding us of the legendary route driven 1927 by some of the most beautiful cars of all time, piloted by champions such as Tazio Nuvolari 1927.
