Chopard Mille Miglia - 20-th Anniversary

The story of cooperation between the Chopard Watchmaking Company and the legendary Mille Miglia race started in 1988 when Chopard provided the event with its support for the first time. The initial cooperation was followed by the introduction of the first Chopard Mille Miglia Chronograph, so the year 2008 marks the 20-th anniversary of the collection. Today, Chopard is proud to act as an old-established partner of the race.

The Scheufele Family has always highly appreciated the cooperation with the Mille Miglia, having personally participated annually in the 1000-mile race since 1988. Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, an avid fan of classic race automobiles, initiated the idea of creating a Mille Miglia chronograph, inspired by the belief that fans of cool automobiles, praising elegance and high performance, would feel passionate about fine watches and vice-versa.

Karl-Friedrich Scheufele wanted to create a timepiece with a sporty design, equipped with the movement to guarantee most precise timekeeping during a race. In 1988, the dream came true, having given birth to one of the most successful Chopard watch collections ever. Nowadays, enthusiasts and collectors anticipate the appearance of a new Chopard Mille Miglia chronograph to feature an innovative design, high-tech materials and additional technical characteristics.

In 1998, to pay tribute to the Golden Age of automobile sport, the Mille Miglia chronograph was for the first time coupled with its distinctive natural rubber strap revealing the Dunlop racing tire tread of the 1960-s.

In 2006, Chopard unveiled the Mille Miglia Gran Turismo XL. The timepiece incorporated the largest automatic caliber ever developed, 44 mm diameter, reflecting the recent trend for 'extra large'.

The Chopard Mille Miglia watch collection has considerably enhanced public awareness of the race that, having come through a 30-year oblivion, has been revived as the 'Mille Miglia Storica' and represents one of the favorite vintage car races in the world.

Mille Miglia 2008
In 2008, the event was joined by 375 vintage and classic cars built in the period of 1927-1957, ready to take the challenge and compete along a picturesque 'Thousand-Mile' long route. The precious cars traveled from Brescia through Ferrara to Rome and through Siena and Florence back to where they started. The race lasted for 3 days. It attracted thousands of spectators who lined the streets of the original 1927 route, enthusiastically encouraging the drivers.

This year the Mille Miglia was won in the overall ranking by the team VIARO Luciano/VIARO Antonio who drove an 1928 Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 Super Sport. The team of winners was followed by the team SANCHEZ-ZINNY Fernando/BARTOLOME Juan on Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport constructed in 1930. The Alfa Romeo victory stirred up strong emotions, having recalled the famous Campari and Ramponi victory 80 years ago.

Karl Scheufele and his co-pilot Albert Carreras drove a Mercedes 300 SL. President's son Karl-Friedrich Scheufele with his wife Christine drove an Aston Martin 1 1/2 liter Ulster built in 1935.

Chopard held a Mille Miglia Dinner the night before departure in the Brescia countryside. The dinner was attended by the company's friends and Mille Miglia supporters, with Jacky Ickx and his wife Khadja, Thomas Frank, Head of Audi Tradition, Stephan Gruhsem, Head of Communication Volkswagen, Dr. Jurgen Grossmann Chief Executive Officer of RWE AG among many others.

New Chopard Mille Miglia

To mark the 20-th anniversary of the collection and this year's Mille Miglia race, Chopard has created the Mille Miglia 2008 GT XL Chrono. The powerful case construction equipped with a screw-locked crown is crafted in stainless steel or 18-K rose gold and measures 44 mm in diameter. Its sleek, sporting lines are accentuated by integrated rectangular pushers and a tachometric scale. The watch guarantees 100-meter water-resistance. As for the case-back, it reveals the engraving of the route map of the Mille Miglia.

The silvery dial of the new Chopard Mille Miglia showcases the oversized '12' and '6' Arabic numerals laminated beneath the sapphire crystal. The dial is completed with a 12-hour counter positioned at 6 o'clock, small seconds at 9 and 30-minute counter at 12 o'clock. The Superluminova-coated hands and hour-markers provide perfect readability in the dark. The tip of the central sweep second hand is accented by red, the symbol color of the Mille Miglia. The date display found at 3 o'clock is fitted with a built-in sapphire lens.

The Mille Miglia 2008 GT XL Chrono accommodates a mechanical self-winding movement, boasting a COSC-chronometer certification. The mechanism is beating at 28,800 vibrations per hour, offering a 48-hour power-reserve. This movement has also incorporated a stop seconds device to allow most accurate time-setting.

The steel version of the Mille Miglia 2008 GT XL Chrono goes on a natural black rubber strap with the one-of-a-kind 1960s Dunlop Racing tyre-tread motif, while the 18K rose gold version goes on a crocodile leather strap. The Chopard Mille Miglia 2008 will be available in a limited edition of 2008 pieces in stainless steel and 500 pieces in 18K rose gold.

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