Rosso Corsa, Speed Silver, British Racing Green, Vintage Blue and Speed Yellow were the colours allocated to the various nations competing in the world of motor racing. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the partnership between Chopard and Mille Miglia, the Maison presents a new collection composed of five Mille Miglia Racing Colours watches. A re-edition of a historical Chopard collection featuring unique dials and intended for gentlemen drivers and collectors. They pay tribute to the heyday of motorsports and to an exclusive race, the Mille Miglia, widely referred to as “la corsa la più bella del mondo”.
Chopard and the Mille Miglia, bound by passion for more than 30 years
For 30 years, the hearts of Chopard and Mille Miglia have been beating as one, echoing a shared love of fine mechanics and performance born of the personal passion for classic cars nurtured by Chopard Co-President Karl-Friedrich Scheufele. He is both a discerning connoisseur of collector’s cars and an accomplished driver. For the past 30 years, he has exercised his skills at the wheel of the most prestigious classic cars, with which he annually competes in the famous race.
The new Mille Miglia Racing Colours symbolise their owners’ authentic passion for racing and classic cars: a passion that a true gentleman driver will never relinquish.
The now indivisible ties, first established in 1988 when Chopard become partner and official timekeeper of the Mille Miglia, inspired an eponymous watch collection presented that same year. The prestigious annual endurance rally sees more than 400 historical cars covering an enchanting one thousand-mile route from Brescia to Rome and back. This legendary competition has led to the creation of iconic watches bearing the Chopard signature.
Legendary colours
National colours for motor racing were first attributed in the 1910s. In order to identify the nationality of the competing drivers, one colour was allocated to each country. Bright red Rosso Corsa for the Italians, British racing green for the United Kingdom, grey-white for the German “silver arrows”, yellow for the Belgians as in their national flag, and finally blue for the French Bugattis and Talbots.
The Mille Miglia Racing Colours are inspired by these cars that competed in the Mille Miglia in the early years. The dials display optimal legibility thanks to broad Arabic numerals that are luminescent at night, as are the hands. The slim cursive fonts, as well as the counters, are inspired by the typical dashboards of the late 1920s and stand out by their silver-toned colour. The sweep-seconds hand features a bright red tip to tick off the precious seconds of the race.
Dashboard instrument
The collection offers a variation of five different colours. Great opportunity to acquire a watch in your favourite colour or one that is missing in your collection as not all are that common. Perhaps to match your outfit or even the bodywork of your car. The Chopard Mille Miglia Racing Colours are 42 mm chronographs which come in a 300-piece limited edition for each dial colour. The calibre is COSC-certified, ensuring chronometer-worthy precision with about 42 hours of power reserve.
The arrow-shaped Mille Miglia logo appears at 12 o’clock in the heart of the dial. A successful blend of precision, comfort and elegance, these watches are authentic auxiliary instruments for drivers hurtling along Italian roads, enabling them to race in true style. The chronograph functions serving to measure short times are complemented by the tachymeter scale, which is ideal for measuring average speeds, along with a date display.
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Technical Specifications
Reference: 168589-3008/3009/3010/3011/3012
Case material: Stainless steel
Dimension: 42m
Movement: Mechanical Chronograph
Power: 42 Hours with automatic winding
Water resistance: 50meter / 5ATM
Dial: Lacquered or circular brushed
Strap: Calfskin leather strap with rubber lining
Special Note: Limited to 300 pieces in each execution
Chopard Mille Miglia Racing Colours price is TBA end of March
Gallery
