Chopard Was Once Again the Official Timekeeper of the ‘1000 Miglia’

For the 32^nd time in a row, Chopard was the main partner and the official timekeeper of the amazing 1000 Miglia rally. The event is usually organized in the month of May and is regarded as being “the world’s most beautiful”. This year, however, it took place in mid-autumn, because of the harsh public health regulations. Thus, it was organized between 22 and 25 October.

400 crews set out to conquer the 1618 km / 1000 miles of the course under the watchful gaze of a friend of the brand, Jacky Ickx, who presided over the festivities organized by Chopard. Ickx is a Belgian former racing driver, who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans six times and achieved eight wins and 25 podium finishes in Formula One. He also won the Can-Am Championship in 1979 and the 1983 Paris–Dakar Rally. The evening before the start of the race, during an intimate dinner at La Sosta in Brescia, “Mister Le Mans” presented the new timepieces from Chopard’s Mille Miglia Collection created by the in-house artisans in homage to the race.

Chopard has been tied to the endurance race since 1988 and is the manifestation of the close collaboration born from the Scheufele’s family passion for classic cars. Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, Co-President of Chopard is also known for collecting and driving cars, even at certain motorsports events.

The story of 1000 Miglia goes back to 1927, when it was started by two aristocrats. It was a 1618 km route (1000 Roman miles, hence its name) and was a speed race that started and ended in the Northern Italian town of Brescia after passing through Rome. The original formula was interrupted in 1957 and was re-launched several years later in 1977 as an endurance race for cars built only between 1927 and 1957. The route has also changed slightly along the years, but it has kept its length 0f 1000 miles and its atmosphere, as the cars pass through some of Italy’s most beautiful landscapes and towns.

In accordance with its annual custom, Chopard also introduced a new series of watches that marked the start of the race, commemorating this new edition of the 1000 Miglia. The Mille Miglia 2020 Race Edition chronograph is available in a 250-piece limited edition and features a 42 mm-diameter case in bead-blasted DLC stainless steel and ethical rose gold with black leather strap and dial; and in 1000 pieces entirely in bead-blasted DLC stainless steel, each powered by a chronometer-certified mechanical movement with automatic winding.

The collection also includes two other stainless steel timepieces attired in a very contemporary shade of blue with the Mille Miglia GTS Azzurro Power Control (a 500-piece edition with a 43 mm diameter) and the Mille Miglia GTS Azzurro Chrono (a 750-piece edition with a 44 mm diameter), also equipped with chronometer-certified mechanical movements with automatic winding.

Finally, Chopard presented a tourbillon chronometer in a 20-piece edition, the Mille Miglia Lab One, a concept watch harnessing the finest expertise and innovation cultivated by the Chopard workshops. Its cushion-shaped case is made of bead-blasted DLC titanium and houses the Chopard 04.03-M tourbillon movement.

Watches are all about emotion, capturing and conveying a lifestyle and a world view. Thus, it is awe-inspiring to actually have hands-on manifestations of their values through events such as the 1000 Miglia race.

 

Fraquoh and Franchomme

 

 

 

 

 

Further reading:

The Alpine Eagle by Chopard

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