To celebrate the 30th anniversary of its partnership with the Mille Miglia classic car rally, Chopard has created a special limited, numbered and COSC-certified, the Mille Miglia 2018 Race Edition. Be ready at the starting line however, as only 1,000 of them will be produced in steel, and just 100 in a version combining 18-carat rose gold and steel.
The Mille Miglia 2018 Race Edition belongs to the Mille Miglia collection which was created over 30 years ago by the master-watchmakers of the Manufacture in accordance with rigorous procedures, and has been 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.
The Mille Miglia is a regularity race. 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.
The layout of this 44 mm-diameter chronograph 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.
This chronograph 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.
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.
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.
