Mille Miglia 2018, Brescia
©Alexandra Pauli for Chopard
Chopard was back on the start-line at the most beautiful race in the world
Chopard returned to the Mille Miglia in 2019 for the 31st time both as historic partner and official timekeeper. This year, the Maison’s Co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, a true car aficionado, will compete at the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz 300SL “Gull Wing”. For the first time, he will be accompanied by his daughter, Caroline-Marie, heir to the Scheufele family’s passion for racing. Chopard, famous for its connection with historic motoring, will also unveil its latest Mille Miglia Race Edition chronograph and two other new models, the Mille Miglia GTS Power Control and a watch celebrating the centenary of coachbuilder Zagato.
Founded in 1927, the Mille Miglia is among the most famous historic motoring events in the world. When it was originally run, the 1,618km course (the equivalent to 1,005 Roman miles) was an all-out race that started and finished in Brescia, with Rome marking the turning point for home.
In 1955, the famous British racing driver Sir Stirling Moss won the race in a record time that still stands today, completing the course in ten hours, seven minutes and 48 seconds at the remarkable average speed of 97.96 miles per hour.
After ceasing to exist in its original race format in 1957, the Mille Miglia was revived in 1977 as a time and reliability trial for cars built between 1927 and 1957 and still covers 1,000 miles following much of the original route through the heart of Italy from Brescia to Rome and back.
Mille Miglia 2019 – the new Chopard watches
As every year, Chopard is proud to present a special new watch to commemorate the latest edition of the Mille Miglia. The Mille Miglia 2019 Race Edition chronograph is available in 250 steel and rose gold examples with grey dials and cognac calf leather straps, and 1,000 examples in steel with blue dials and blue calf leather straps. Each model has a 44 mm case and a self-winding, COSC-certified movement.
Also being unveiled will be the Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph – Zagato 100th Anniversary Edition celebrating both the centenary of coachbuilder Zagato as well as Chopard’s sponsorship of the Scuderia Zagato racing team, with the final new models being the Mille Miglia GTS Power Control, a limited edition with a COSC-certified, self-winding movement and 60 hour power reserve.
