Chopard Reveals the New Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph, Donning French Flag Colours

The worlds of racing and chronographs share a long, intertwined history, dating back to the early 20th century. As motorsports evolved, so did the need for precise timekeeping. Early races were timed using stopwatches, but the invention of wrist-worn chronographs allowed for greater ease of use and accuracy. This was crucial in an era when races could be won or lost by fractions of a second. 

If we look at luxury watch brands and their association with racing events, the collaboration between Chopard and the iconic Mille Miglia race has stood the test of time since 1988. This year, at one of the largest classic car shows in Europe, Rétromobile, Chopard presented its latest creation, Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph French Limited Edition, restricted to just 100 pieces.

 First held in 1927, the 1000 Miglia is identified with the city of its origin: Brescia, a place that makes up the past, present and future, soul and heart of the race. It was due to the efforts of the “Four Musketeers” – Giovanni Canestrini, Franco Mazzotti, Aymo Maggi, and Renzo Castagneto – that the world saw another race, closer to the 24 hour Le Mans. The 2024 edition of the 1000 Miglia Red Arrow will depart from Brescia on 11 June and will pass through Bergamo, Novara and Vercelli before arriving in Turin for the end of the first leg. On the final day, 15 June, the route will pass Ferrara and Mantua, then Lake Garda with the Valtenesi and Salò to end with the classic parade in Viale Venezia.

 Coming back to the latest Chopard offering, the brand has unveiled its Mille Miglia French Limited Edition as an exclusive, numbered, 100-piece collection, specially presented in the French national colours. The Salon Rétromobile is a dedicated annual show for classic cars, providing a platform for enthusiasts to engage with artists, manufacturers, clubs, and federations; the 2024 edition, where the watch was launched, was held in Paris from 31 January to 4 February. 

The Chopard Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph French Edition comes in a 40.5 mm case, crafted from anti-allergenic, brushed, and polished Lucent Steel™. This means the bezel, the lugs, the chronograph pushers, and the crown are all crafted from the same material, which is an exclusive, REACH-certified, and responsibly produced alloy. Notably, the pushers’ tops feature patterns that resemble brake pedals, while the crown has deeper notches for enhanced grip and is adorned with the vintage steering wheel image.

The dial gets a tri-colour, silver-toned layout, which is obtained through galvanic treatment with circular satin finish. The outer periphery of the dial gets a tachymeter scale on a midnight blue chapter ring with white transfers, while on the inner periphery lies a railway track with midnight blue and red transfers. Grade X1 SuperLumiNova illuminates the Arabic and dotted hour markers at 3 o’clock, 6 o’clock, and 9 o’clock. The hour and minute hands are rhodium-plated; baton-style central hands, a red baton-type chronograph seconds hand, and a Red 1000 Miglia Arrow logo in the centre can also be spotted. The layout features recessed and snailed subdials for small seconds at 3 o’clock with a white hand, the 12-hour counter at 6 o’clock, and the 30-minute counter at 9 o’clock, both with red hands. Red accents continue as numerals, marking five-minute intervals on the minutes track. At 4:30, the small date window gets a white background and a blue numeral. Driving this watch is a COSC-certified automatic chronograph movement with a beat rate of 28,800 vibrations per hour and an adequate 54-hour power reserve. The caseback of the Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph French Edition is engraved with indications of its limited edition status and the unique number out of 100. The sapphire crystal section of the caseback features two crossed flags – a black-and-white, chequered racing flag and the other unmistakably bearing the French national colours – with a Lucent Steel™ oscillating weight. The watch is finished on a midnight blue perforated calfskin strap with an ecru bridle stitching buckle in Lucent Steel™. This limited-edition watch will be available in France.