Chopard Mille Miglia 2018 Race Edition

Thirty years of a tireless passion for the “corsa la più bella del mondo”. Who else could lay claim to such constancy? To celebrate this important landmark, Chopard has created a special limited, numbered and COSC-certified Mille Miglia 2018 Race Edition. A 44 mm timepiece forged from a blend of passion, style and precision is taking to the road this year. Be ready at the starting line however, as only 1,000 of them will emerge from the Chopard watchmaking workshops in steel, and just 100 in a version combining 18-carat rose gold and steel.

A story of passion and Italian elegance

It all began in 1988 when Chopard became partner and official timekeeper of the famous Mille Miglia classic car rally. This lasting union was born from the personal passion of Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, Chopard co-president and a keen collector’s car driver. He played a trailblazing role in the watch industry by choosing to associate the world of classic racing with prestigious watchmaking. This now inseparable bond of love between fine mechanics and sporting performance proved the starting point for the much sought-after Mille Miglia watch collection.

The latter is distinguished by its virile, sporty models featuring high-precision mechanics with a chic exterior embodying the spirit of the legendary Italian competition dubbed the “world’s most beautiful race” by Enzo Ferrari. Each spring, the prestigious endurance rally sees more than 400 teams compete on a splendid thousand-mile (1,600 km) route running from Brescia to Rome and back. For 30 years, at the very heart of the race, Chopard has presented a limited series inspired by these legendary speed machines. This year, gentlemen drivers and aficionados will discover the Mille Miglia 2018 Race Edition which celebrates this anniversary in suitably Italian style.

A family story

The Mille Miglia is a family story of passion for the Scheufele’s. This passion is transmitted from generation to generation. All the members of the family have taken part or attended the Mille Miglia under the Maison Chopard flag. Karl-Friedrich Scheufele will be on the starting line under the watchful eye of his own father, Karl Scheufele, who instilled in him his own fascination and enthusiasm for classic cars. These moments are special and precious for a father.

There is of course a deeply rooted desire to pass on a personal penchant… What could be finer than to transmit a passion for fine mechanics, whether of the horological or automobile variety? Yet, the Mille Miglia is a demanding mistress. A trying race that requires constant attention and tolerates no imprecision. It is all about passing on, as well as teaching, sharing and accompanying in order to help avoid potential pitfalls and lead the car to victory. The qualities required to take part in this rally are well-known and quite logically similar to those of the Chopard watchmakers.

A stylish COSC-certified watch

Constancy? Regularity races epitomise this quality. It is not just peak speeds that are measured, but also the drivers’ ability to maintain a certain pace. A watch calibre chronometer-certified by the COSC like the one powering the Mille Miglia 2018 Race Edition must also maintain a variation in rate ranging from minus four to plus six seconds per day. Nothing is left to chance, with a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour and a 42-hour power reserve guaranteeing the regularity of this self-winding watch.

Rigorous discipline? That too. There is no room for approximation when it comes to competing in the Mille Miglia. Careful route reconnaissance, an accurate road book and meticulous preparation are all indispensable assets in ensuring the rally goes smoothly. Created over 30 years ago by the master-watchmakers of the Manufacture in accordance with rigorous procedures, the Mille Miglia collection now welcomes the Mille Miglia 2018 Race Edition, developed in accordance with the same demanding criteria. The engine-turned dial, the details of the pushers and crown, as well as the sapphire crystal case-back bearing markings celebrating 30 years of passion, all testify to the superlative degree of finishing lavished on this chronograph.

… featuring perfect ergonomics…

Precision? Absolutely. At the wheel of his Porsche 550 Spyder RS, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele does not negotiate with the road. A sharp turn of the wheel, sophisticated braking… the finely tuned speed machine tolerates no compromises. The same goes for the layout of this 44 mm-diameter chronograph that must enable the driver to keep track of time with one eye on the peripheral tachymeter scale, while the other looks out for any pitfalls the road may bring. This paragon of ergonomics highlights the three dashboard-inspired counters and their graduations displaying seconds, minutes and hours. More than just an instrument, the Mille Miglia 2018 Race Edition is an integral part of the controls for gentlemen drivers.

… and undeniable elegance

A glimpse of Karl-Friedrich Scheufele getting into his car in front of the Vittoria Hotel in Brescia is enough to grasp the essence of the gentleman driver. An impeccable polo shirt, a camel-toned leather jacket with just the right patina, perforated leather driving gloves and chino trousers are de rigueur at the wheel to embody the “racing in style” spirit cherished by Chopard. Comfort is of course essential to ensuring freedom of movement, yet never to the detriment of elegance. It is worth recalling that he drives the favourite car of another style icon, a certain James Dean, who piloted with natural charm and ease.

In the evening, the prize-giving ceremony and various receptions call for a more formal touch. The perfect combination of a well-cut blazer with a club tie plus a Mille Miglia 2018 Race Edition in 18-carat rose gold and steel naturally takes over. One can safely guess that this father will also be keen to teach his son the customs and conventions of this competition: sport and performance, consistently governed by style and panache.

Therein also lies the strength of this chronograph that makes the perfect transition between casual chic by day and elegant evening wear. Water-resistant to 50 metres, the Mille Miglia 2018 Race Edition is able to handle pelting rain at the wheel, then slide neatly under a jacket when it’s time for cocktails, seamlessly matching the more formal attire without losing an ounce of its character. The strap with its short lugs is particularly suitable, with the perforated red-lined leather on top evoking vintage racing driver bucket seats and the legendary Dunlop racing tyre tread below providing the perfect grip. The analogies continue with a notched crown resembling a petrol-tank cap and pushers shaped like engine pistons.

An exclusive timepiece combining performance with refinement

Meanwhile, the dashboard-inspired engine-turned dial single-handedly sums up the watch with its fusion of performance and vintage spirit. The red Mille Miglia logo at 12 o’clock, date at 4 o’clock, as well as the subtle touch of Super-LumiNova®-painted hands… no detail is coincidental. Some may be tempted to forget that the Mille Miglia is above all a distance of 1000 miles: more than 1,600km from Brescia to Rome and back in four days, often ending after nightfall. The luminescent coating on the hands thus proves eminently useful in checking average speed at a glance even in the dark. Upon arriving back in Brescia and glimpsing the ramp on the Viale Venezia, the often worn-out teams are torn between a sense of relief and a wish to start all over again. The tough, long and demanding Mille Miglia does not spare its participants. But, like its “flagship watch”, it remains all the more endearing.

The exclusive, powerful and sophisticated Mille Miglia 2018 Race Edition is a true everyday team-mate, a stylish watch that will doubtless be adopted by gentlemen drivers of all generations.

Mille Miglia 2018 Race Edition

1,000-piece steel limited edition

Ref. 168589-3006 – in steel on calfskin and rubbers trap

Technical details

Case: Steel
Total diameter: 42.00 mm
Thickness: 12.67 mm
Water resistance: 50 metres
Steel screw-lock crown with steering wheel motif: 7.50 mm
Polished steel bezel
Glareproofed sapphire crystal
Steel pushers
Exhibition back with screws bearing Mille Miglia logo around its rim and special transfer-printed inscription reading “Chopard & Mille Miglia 30 anni di passione”

Movement: Mechanical self-winding chronograph movement
Total diameter: 28.60 mm
Thickness: 6.10 mm
Number of jewels: 37
Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
Power reserve: approx. 42 hours
Chronometer-certified (COSC)

Dial and hands: Engine-turned anthracite dial with white transfer-printed railtrack markings and tachymeter scale: Red Mille Miglia logo
Metallic black Arabic numerals painted with Super-LumiNova®
Azure silver-toned counters at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock
Rhodium-plated facetted hours and minutes hands
Rhodium-plated counter hands at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock
Rhodium-plated sweep-seconds hand

Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds
Hours counter at 6 o’clock, minutes counter at 9 o’clock, seconds counter at 3 o’clock
Date window between 4 and 5 o’clock

Strap and buckle: Black calfskin leather strap with red stitching
Rubber lining inspired by 1960s Dunlop racing tyre tread
Polished steel pin buckle

Mille Miglia 2018 Race Edition

100-piece limited edition in steel and 18-carat rose gold

Ref. 168589-6001 – in steel and 18-carat rose gold with calfskin leather and rubber strap

Technical details

Case: Steel and 18-carat rose gold
Total diameter: 42.00 mm
Thickness: 12.67 mm
Water resistance: 50 metres
18-carat rose gold screw-lock crown with steering wheel motif: 7.50 mm
Polished 18-carat rose gold bezel
Glareproofed sapphire crystal
18-carat rose gold pushers
Exhibition back with screws bearing Mille Miglia logo around its rim and special transfer-printed inscription reading “Chopard & Mille Miglia 30 anni di passione”

Dial and hands: Engine-turned anthracite dial with white transfer-printed railtrack markings and tachymeter scale
Red Mille Miglia logo
Metallic black Arabic numerals painted with Super-LumiNova®
Azure silver-toned counters at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock
Gilded facetted hours and minutes hands
Gilded counter hands at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock
Gilded sweep seconds hand

Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds
Hours counter at 6 o’clock, minutes counter at 9 o’clock, seconds counter at 3 o’clock
Date window between 4 and 5 o’clock

Strap and buckle: Black calfskin leather strap with red stitching
Rubber lining inspired by 1960s Dunlop racing tyre tread
Polished steel pin buckle

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