Chopard Mille Miglia 2022 Race Edition
The Chopard Mille Miglia 2022 Race Edition evokes thoughts of the octane-rich world of the 1000 Miglia, a regularity race where period cars vie with one another in pursuit of podium glory. For the last 35 years, Chopard has been the official timekeeper of the 1000 Miglia and, with only a couple of exceptions, has produced a celebratory watch each year for competitors, motorsport devotees and horophiles.
Chopard expertly crafts jewellery and watches at its various production sites. In addition, it offers a variety of luxury accessories and gifts, sold via its own exclusive boutiques and a select array of authorised retailers. However, what differentiates this Maison from many similarly-sized businesses is that it is family owned.
Brother and sister, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele and Caroline Scheufele are the Co-Presidents of the luxury firm and play a hands-on role in navigating the business to ever-greater success. Having met both individuals on a number of occasions, I can attest they are both driven by passion, with each sibling having their own personal interests away from the office. Indeed, there is a fabulous book about the brand (a must-read for any die-hard horophile), entitled ‘The Passion for Excellence’. Quite simply, ‘passion’ pervades Chopard’s culture, something that is evident in the products the company creates.
Karl-Friedrich Scheufele and 1000 Miglia
Karl-Friedrich Scheufele is known to love contemporary and classical art, collects historical clocks and watches and is fascinated by viticulture along with other aspects of wine production. However, his ultimate passion is motorsport. Indeed, a number of years ago, I interviewed Mr Scheufele and he freely admitted that he would have loved to have been a professional racing driver.
With this in mind, it should come as no surprise to learn that Karl-Friedrich Scheufele has competed in the 1000 Miglia on many occasions. The race begins in Brescia and travels to Rome before returning to Brescia, a total distance of 1005 miles. This year, the 40th edition of the 1000 Miglia took place and, once again, Chopard was there, along for the ride. Indeed, the Genevan marque has been the official timekeeper of the 1000 Miglia for 35 consecutive years.
Since 1988, Chopard has produced a limited edition chronograph each year for the annual regularity race, save for just a couple of years when it produced a key ring (1989) and cufflinks (1992). The Chopard Mille Miglia 2022 Race Edition, as its name implies, is the latest model to sport the iconic 1000 Miglia logo on its dial.
Silver-toned dial with 1000 Miglia logo
The hour and minute hands are broad, suffused with blue CVD and lined with Super-LumiNova. They converse with applied baton-type indexes, once again enriched with blue CVD and Super-LumiNova. The generous proportions of the hands facilitate ease of reading, an essential requirement when navigating the 1000 Miglia’s demanding, sinuous route. Blue CVD also graces the lithe central chronograph seconds hand, albeit the tip of this hand is dressed in an ebullient blood-red hue, a colour synonymous with Italian race cars since 1903 and the Gordon Bennett Cup.
The circular-satin brushed, silver-toned dial is reminiscent of the engine-turned dashboards of yesteryear. Three snailed counters grace the dial: a 30-minute chronograph register, a 12-hour chronograph register and a small seconds display. A soupçon of red appears on the two chronograph-related hands, while the small seconds hand is attired in a plain blue suit.
A date aperture, positioned at 3 o’clock, reveals black numerals atop a white disc. A date magnifier sits underneath the sapphire crystal, augmenting readability. The 1000 Miglia logo, adjacent to the date, is bright and cheery while remaining tastefully in concert with the rest of the dialscape.
The Chopard Mille Miglia 2022 Race Edition is endowed with a white rack that hugs the edge of the dial. The track employs double-digit numerals every 5-second, with crisp strokes of varying lengths, denoting 1-second and ¼-second periods, positioned in between. Everything is presented in a highly lucid form.
The bezel is made of steel or ethical 18-carat rose gold depending on the reference selected (see later). However, irrespective of which version is chosen, both options include a blue ceramic inlay. This material is becoming increasingly popular as it’s scratch-resistant and less prone to fading over time. In this instance, the bezel incorporates a tachymeter scale, a function that allows the wearer to determine the speed of an object covering a known distance. It seems an eminently sensible feature on a watch designed for use during a regularity race.
A 44mm case
The Chopard Mille Miglia 2022 Race Edition is offered in two variants: stainless steel (1000 pieces) or stainless steel and ethical 18-carat rose gold (250 pieces).
Measuring 44mm in diameter, the generous proportions of the case afford sufficient room for the dial indications to breathe, imparting information clearly. Although the watch delivers much wrist presence, it neatly resides on the wrist thanks to its modestly sized, ergonomically-shaped lugs.
Contrasting the two versions of the model, the bi-metallic option features ethical 18-carat rose gold on the crown, pushpieces and bezel, adding visual interest and a note of warmth to proceedings.
The flanks of the pushpieces are enriched with a crisscross pattern, providing a wonderful tactile feel. The vertical flank of the crown is engraved with a steering wheel motif, a feature that can also be found on earlier Mille Miglia timepieces.
Unlike many modern-day mechanical watches, the Mille Miglia 2022 Race Edition shuns the ubiquitous exhibition caseback. Instead, the watch is endowed with a solid caseback, retained with eight screws and enlivened with the 1000 Miglia insignia.
Consistent with several other Chopard watches, the case of the Mille Miglia 2022 Race Edition features vertical satin-brush on the caseband and lugs, while the remaining surfaces are presented in highly polished form. This interplay between the contrasting finishes imbues the watch with a notably sophisticated appearance, befitting a timepiece costing substantially more.
The model is presented on a brown calfskin strap with tone-on-tone stitching. Moreover, the epidermis of the strap is perforated, no doubt a detail inspired by the racing gloves of yesteryear. When looking at the strap more closely, flashes of blue can be seen through the perforations as well as adjacent the edges. Turn the watch over and you’ll discover it’s lined with contrasting blue rubber. In addition, Chopard has, once again, reinforced the automotive theme by executing the lining with a car-tyre motif.
A chronometer-certified movement (COSC)
Equipped with a self-winding movement, the watch is ideally suited to daily wear. The balance has a frequency of 28,800 vph (4Hz) and the movement contains 25 jewels. Assuming the mainspring is fully tensioned, the watch will run autonomously for 48 hours.
Interestingly, the chronometric performance of the watch has been independently tested by COSC. This is no mean feat. Founded in 1973, the independent public institution subjects watch movements to different temperatures and different positions over a 15 day period. For a self-winding movement, the rate precision must fall within the range of -4/+6 seconds per day. It is only when a movement has satisfied the testing criteria of COSC that it can be described as a ‘chronometer’.
Closing remarks
The Chopard Mille Miglia 2022 Race Edition is simple to read, offers the convenience of a chronograph and is also highly precise. However, with its sumptuous details and high-end materials, it surpasses the essential requirements of a watch. For instance, the crown is not only simple to grip and manipulate, but is also wonderfully stylish. Likewise, the pushpieces are large, facilitating ease of use, while the crisscross pattern is pleasing to touch. This combination of practicality, sublime tactility and notable style is manifest throughout, distinguishing the watch as special.
And yet, despite the refined execution of the Mille Miglia 2022 Race Edition, prices are surprisingly modest. Indeed, with prices starting at £6,680 for the full-steel option, Chopard has delivered another impressive watch for a comparatively modest sum.
At the beginning of this article, I began by discussing ‘passion’ and how it has influenced the culture of the Genevan marque. Karl-Friedrich Scheufele’s passion for motorsport is clearly behind the brand’s association with the 1000 Miglia for the last 35 years. However, as this model clearly demonstrates, it’s the shared passion of numerous personnel at Chopard that has led to the creation of this superb watch: it would appear that passion is omnipresent at Chopard.
Further reading
Technical specification
- Model: Chopard Mille Miglia 2022 Race Edition
- Reference: 168571-3010 (stainless steel – limited edition of 1000 pieces) / 168571-6004 (stainless steel and ethical 18-carat rose gold – limited edition of 250 pieces)
- Case: diameter 44.00mm, height 13.79mm, sapphire crystal to front and solid case back adorned with 1000 Miglia motif
- Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds, date, chronograph; tachymeter scale
- Movement: self-winding movement, frequency 28,800 vph (4Hz); 25 jewels, power reserve 48 hours, certified chronometer (COSC)
- Strap: Brown perforated calfskin strap with blue rubber lining and backing paired with a stainless steel triple folding clasp
- Price: £6,680 (stainless steel) / £ 9,790 (stainless steel and ethical 18-carat rose gold). Recommended retail prices as of 3.8.2022)