Chopard Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph “La Gara”
The legendary Italian Mille Miglia vintage car race, from Brescia to Rome and back, is just around the corner, drawing crowds of car lovers and drivers from around the world. As the sponsor and official timekeeper of this race since 1988, Chopard enjoys one of the longest-standing alliances in classic motorsports. The brand’s co-president, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, has participated in every Mille Miglia edition since 1989. Perpetuating the brand’s tradition of Mille Miglia watches, and just four days ahead of the race, Chopard releases a new Mille Miglia-themed watch, the retro-inspired Classic Chronograph with a panda dial, celebrating the heritage and spirit of this iconic event.The 40.5mm case with a thickness of 12.8mm is made of Chopard’s super-hard and luminous alloy, Lucent Steel, featuring polished and satin-brushed finishes. This compact and robust design is accentuated by elements inspired by vintage racing, such as piston-like pushers with knurled textures resembling brake pedals.On the flipside is a sapphire exhibition caseback, allowing a clear view into the inner workings of the COSC-certified ETA A32.211 movement. The caseback also features engravings that highlight its Mille Miglia association, including the iconic 1000 Miglia logo.
It comes equipped with two push-pieces that activate the chronograph functions, plus a notched crown that resembles a petrol tank cap, decorated with a steering wheel motif. All topped by a glass-box sapphire crystal over the dial that enhances light entry and increases the depth of the dial opening. Water-resistance can reach up to 50 meters (164 feet).Time is exhibited on a panda dial with Arabic numerals and features a white printed tachymeter scale circling around. The black tachymeter scale encircles the dial, enabling the measurement of average speed over a known distance.The dial is mainly characterized by a silvery central area with a circular brushed finish and contrasting black sub-dials with snailed interiors: a sub-seconds at 3 o’clock; a 12-hour counter at 6 o’clock; and a 30-minute counter at the 9 o’clock position The large vintage-style Arabic numerals and baton hour and minute hands are treated with Super-LumiNova for enhanced legibility. There is also a date window angled in at 4:30, complemented by red accents highlighting the 1000 Miglia arrow and the tip of the central chronograph seconds hand.
Chopard Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph “La Gara”
This Chopard Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph “La Gara” (Ref#: 168619-3005) is powered by a self-winding mechanical movement, based on caliber ETA A32-211 with 37 jewels, and 28,800 vph. Power reserve can last up to 54 hours, when fully wound.Mounted to this watch is a black perforated calfskin leather strap with exposed tone-on-tone stitchings, secured to the wrist by a Lucent steel pin buckle For more up to date information visit the official Chopard website here.