Chopard Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph French Limited Edition Watch review
The Chopard Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph French Limited Edition has just been released to coincide with Salon Rétromobile. Angus Davies, a former marketing professional, considers Chopard’s longstanding relationship with 1000 Miglia before examining the company’s latest reference bearing the iconic red arrow logo on its dial.
Watches and cars
Cars and watches are inseparable bedfellows. Luxury car marques and high-end watch brands frequently drink from the same cup, with companies from both industries often forging strategic alliances. The rationale for this is simple to understand.
Mechanical objects appeal to individuals who appreciate precise engineering, reliability and quality. Likewise, ‘luxury’, whether the term is applied to a prestigious vehicle or a fine timepiece, involves paying close attention to the smallest of details. Indeed, it’s characterised by a high level of engineering where excellence surpasses mere functionality.
Watches and motorsport
In some cases, firms focus their resources on motorsport. Should you choose to peruse the sinuously contoured torso of a Formula One car, you may well see a watch company’s name or logo adorning an endplate, race overall or wing mirror. Again, both industries appeal to the same demographic. Moreover, sponsorship boosts brand awareness. A race spectator may be unaware of watchmaking or lack the financial means to buy a luxury timepiece; however, this situation may change at some point. This latter group of individuals are potential clients of the future; buyers are more likely to favour brands they have heard of.
Image – Chopard ‘World Sponsor and Official Timekeeper’ of the 1000 Miglia since 1988
Chopard and motorsport
The ‘Chopard’ name has graced many race cars over the years. In common with other watch companies, it participates in motorsport to boost brand awareness and engage with would-be clients. However, two significant factors differentiate Chopard’s involvement in motorsport from that of its rivals. Firstly, if you look at most watch brands they typically partner with a team or series for a few years, a period usually measured in single figures. This is primarily because CEOs come and go, especially those working for large groups, and marketing objectives regularly change. In contrast, Chopard became the ‘world sponsor and timekeeper’ for the 1000 Miglia in 1988; a lengthy marriage by any measure. This enduring relationship can be partly attributed to Chopard being a family-owned company where continuity and a long-term vision sit at the fulcrum of the firm’s culture.
Image – Christine, Karl-Friedrich and Karl Scheufele (left to right)
Image – Karl-Friedrich and Karl Scheufele (left to right)
Image – Christine and Karl-Friedrich Scheufele
The second factor that sets Chopard apart from other brands participating in motorsport is ‘passion’. The company’s owners, the Scheufele family are passionate about motorsport. Indeed, Chopard’s Co-President, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele’s love of motorsport is unparalleled. He has competed in the 1000 Miglia every year since 1989, sometimes with his father, Karl, his wife Christine or his good friend, ‘Monsieur Le Mans’, Jacky Ickx.
Image – Jacky Ickx and Karl-Friedrich Scheufele
Chopard – driven by passion
I’ve met Karl-Friedrich Scheufele on several occasions. His unbridled passion for motorsport is palpable. On one occasion, I asked him what career path he would have taken had he not joined the family business. Without hesitation, he replied, “I’d have become a racing driver.”
Other watch brands participate in motorsport, but I cannot think of any other company that comes close to matching Chopard’s legitimacy in this domain.
Image – Jacky Ickx and Karl-Friedrich Scheufele
Mille Miglia watches
Save for just a few exceptions, Chopard has produced an annual Mille Miglia model, setting aside a number of timepieces for competitors. Sometimes the Maison has released additional Mille Miglia references in the same year. For example, in 2015, Chopard unveiled the GTS Collection comprising the Mille Miglia GTS Automatic, the Mille Miglia GTS Power Control and the Mille Miglia GTS Chrono.
Image – Chopard Mille Miglia GTS Automatic Ref. 168565-3001 (2015)
Image – Chopard Mille Miglia GTS Power Control Ref. 168566-3001 (2015)
Image – Chopard Mille Miglia GTS Chrono Ref. 168571-3001 (2015)
Salon Rétromobile watch
Now, the Geneva-based Maison has created another Mille Miglia reference, the Chopard Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph French Limited Edition. This timepiece has been created to coincide with the Salon Rétromobile, an event held at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles (31st January – 4th February 2024).
Image – Chopard stand at the Salon Rétromobile. The car pictured is a vintage Bugatti in Bleu de France
Visitors to the show can see classic cars, manufacturers and dealers as well as an array of memorabilia and car-related paraphernalia. The Chopard Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph French Limited Edition is executed in the French national colours and is limited to 100 pieces.
Image – Chopard stand at the Salon Rétromobile. Some of the historic Mille Miglia models on display
Chopard Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph French Limited Edition dial
On hearing the words, ‘French Limited Edition’, I wrongly assumed the watch would be dressed in ‘Bleu de France’. In the early part of the 20th century, the nationality of a racing team determined the colour of its cars eg British Racing Green. However, on this occasion, Chopard has incorporated all the colours featured on the French flag.
Chopard devotees will recognise familiar design elements previously employed on earlier Mille Miglia models. I consider this to be an attribute as new releases don’t render former models obsolete.
Luminescent baton-style hour and minute hands collaborate with luminescent Arabic numerals to impart the time. The central chronograph seconds hand is presented in a vibrant shade of red, making it stand out from the silver-toned backdrop.
The dial features three snailed counters: a small seconds display (3 o’clock), a 12-hour chronograph register (6 o’clock) and a 30-minute chronograph register (9 o’clock). The hands gracing the chronograph registers feature bright red tips, while the counters are framed with blue circlets. A date display resides at 4:30 and the red ‘1000 Miglia’ arrow logo sits in the upper dial region.
Chopard has used colour very intelligently. The tachymeter scale is presented on a blue flange, contrasting wonderfully with the adjacent silver-toned dial. The minuterie is marked with crisp strokes of varying length, while red Arabic numerals are positioned at 5-minute intervals. With much information and detail on the dial, the judicious use of colour aids understanding.
Lucent Steel case
Chopard has a diverse product portfolio encompassing different complications, exquisite expressions of Haute Horlogerie and watches encased in a variety of materials. In 2019, the Maison unveiled its Alpine Eagle model. Some of the inaugural references were made using a premium steel called ‘Lucent Steel’.
This metal is smelted twice to enhance its purity. The resultant steel is hypoallergenic and 50% harder than conventional steel, making it more resistant to scratching. The metal features 80% recycled content, an attribute compatible with the Maison’s ‘responsible sourcing’ initiative.
Lucent Steel is no longer the preserve of the Alpine Eagle collection, the metal now features on some L.UC. models eg Chopard L.U.C 1860 in Lucent Steel. Despite being positioned at a lower price point, the new Chopard Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph French Limited Edition is also housed in the premium steel, something that is evident from its whitish hue.
Chopard Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph – additional details
Measuring 40.5 mm in diameter, the watch will suit a broad array of wrist sizes. The vertical flanks of the case are satin-brushed, while all other surfaces are highly polished. Upholding Chopard Mille Miglia tradition, the crown has a depiction of a period steering wheel on its vertical flank, while the pushers feature a knurled motif designed to emulate the look of a brake pedal found on a race car of yesteryear.
Quite often when a case is stamped, the lugs are integrated. However, on this watch, Chopard has opted to weld the lugs to the case. This approach is more protracted, requires much skill and is costlier. However, by welding the lugs to the case, the brand is able to deliver superior ergonomics and create graceful curving lines.
The watch is presented on a midnight blue perforated calfskin strap with matching stitching as well as additional ecru bridle stitching. A pin buckle, formed of Lucent Steel, unites the strap with the wearer’s wrist.
To the rear of the watch, a pane of sapphire crystal grants sight of the self-winding movement.
Chopard self-winding chronograph movement
The Chopard Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph French Limited Edition is equipped with a COSC-certified movement. Termed a ‘chronometer’ (not to be confused with a ‘chronograph’), the highly precise movement has been subjected to 15 days of evaluation by the independent testing organisation. The ‘regularity of the watch is checked with two key pieces of data: temperature and the position of the watch (3 o’clock, 6 o’clock, 9 o’clock, dial on top, dial on the bottom)’. To fulfil the requirements of COSC, the watch needs to have an average daily rate of -4/+6 seconds per day (Category 1).
The balance has a frequency of 28,800 vph (4 Hz) and 37 jewels. Assuming the mainspring is fully tensioned, the movement will run autonomously for 54 hours. Chopard has endowed the movement with some attractive finishing, including blued screws, colimaçon, Côtes de Genève and perlage.
Chopard Mille Miglia – closing remarks
The Scheufele family’s passion for motorsport has fuelled creativity, leading the Maison to conceive a portfolio of timepieces, rich in character. “The most beautiful race in the world” has been a rich source of inspiration for Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, something evident with the numerous car-themed details gracing Chopard’s Millie Miglia models. The word ‘beauty’ also comes to mind when I look at the Chopard Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph French Limited Edition, a watch that brims with emotion, a characteristic that is sadly lacking in some watches from rival brands, presumably conceived in an inert office.
Image – Jacky Ickx, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele and Romain Dumas
The brand has given much thought to the aesthetics of this model. The dial is rich in detail and indicates much information, however, it remains eminently legible for a variety of reasons. For example, the fonts employed, the use of Arabic numerals and the neat strokes featured on the minuterie all collaborate to aid interpretation. Most notable of all though, Chopard has cleverly used colour. The judicious application of blue, red, white and silver hues has culminated in a harmonious and stylish composition.
Beyond its prepossessing appearance, there is much intellect within. The self-winding movement does not purport to be worthy of an ultra-refined L.U.C watch, the comparatively modest asking price of the French Limited Edition precludes this, but it does have many attributes. In particular, it is attractively finished and chronometer-certified (COSC).
This is not the first time I have seen a watch company release a model that is specific to a market. On hearing about this timepiece, I wrongly assumed that it would be exclusive to the French market alone. Thankfully, I am pleased to report that my fellow British horophiles can also procure the watch via Chopard’s online boutique, albeit with only 100 examples available….time is of the essence.
Further reading
Technical specification
- Model: Chopard Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph French Limited Edition
- Reference: 168619-3007
- Case: Lucent Steel, diameter 40.5 mm, height 12.88 mm, water resistance 5 ATM (50 metres), sapphire crystal to front, exhibition caseback.
- Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph
- Movement: self-winding movement, frequency 28,800 vph (4 Hz), 37 jewels, power reserve 54 hours, certified-chronometer (COSC)
- Strap: Midnight blue perforated calfskin strap with ecru bridle stitching. Buckle in Lucent Steel
- Price: £8,540 (RRP as of 1.2.2024)
- Limited Edition: 100 pieces