The Eye-Catching Chopard Mille Miglia Classic Patina

Chopard’s Mille Miglia collection can best be described as the watchmaking expression of Karl-Friedrich Scheufele’s lifelong obsession with the classic Italian Mille Miglia road race, which he calls an open-air museum on wheels. As the official sponsor of the race since 1988, Chopard enjoys one of the longest-running partnerships between a watch brand and a car event, and Scheufele has participated in every race since 1989. The Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph, with its 1950s dashboard design cues and pump pushers, is the most direct nod to the golden age of the race. Following in the tracks of the 2023 edition with its more compact 40.5mm diameter, the retro-inspired Classic Chronograph returns with a black DLC case treated to a unique aged patina and an eye-catching salmon-coloured dial.

The original Mille Miglia was a 1,000-mile endurance race from Brescia to Rome and back, run between 1927 and 1957 and revived in 1977 as a regularity rally for historic cars. Chopard’s close ties to the race have spawned an entire collection of Mille Miglia watches, from the more contemporary GTS models to classic, vintage-inspired chronographs like this one dedicated to Scheufele’s friend and racing partner, Jackie Ickx. In 2023, Chopard’s race-inspired chronograph shrank from 42mm to 40.5mm but retained the retro piston-style pushers, the black tachymetre scale and tricompax layout. Another novelty was the use of Lucent Steel, a proprietary high-grade recycled stainless steel alloy that is 50% harder than standard steel and has a brighter, whiter tone.

While the new Mille Miglia Classic is crafted in Lucent Steel, it has been given a dark diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating and a novel tribofinishing process that abrades the surface using vibrating ceramic media. In layman’s terms, the process softens the edges and gives the steel a rugged, worn aesthetic reminiscent of the patina on vintage cars. Like other Classic models, the notched crown, resembling a petrol tank cap, is topped with a steering-wheel motif.

In striking contrast to the duller, aged patina of the case, the dial stands out with its vivid circular-brushed, salmon-coloured dial. Paired with a black peripheral tachymetre scale featuring salmon-toned graduations and black rings framing the sub-dials, the dial is a real attention-grabber. The three counters – small seconds at 3, 12-hour totaliser at 6 and 30-minute counter at 9 o’clock – have snailed salmon-coloured interiors and black numerals and hands.

The large vintage-style painted Arabic numerals and the baton hour and minute hands are coated with Super-LumiNova, and the date window, angled at 4:30, has a salmon background. Red accents are used to highlight the 1000 Miglia arrow on the dial and the tip of the central chronograph seconds hand. Highlighting its retro spirit, a glass-box sapphire crystal over the dial lets more light into the case and deepens the dial opening.

Continuing with the racing theme, the perforations of the rally-style black calfskin strap evoke classic driving gloves. Matching the case’s patina, the steel pin buckle displays the same aged finish. The smoked sapphire crystal on the caseback, designed to echo the patinated case, affords a glimpse of the COSC chronometer-certified ETA A322-11 automatic chronograph movement with a beat rate of 28,800vph and a 54-hour power reserve.

The Mille Miglia Classic Patina is a limited edition of 100 pieces. Price to be confirmed, but expect around EUR 11,500. More information at chopard.com.