Chopard celebrates 20 years of partnership with Mille Miglia race edition 2008
Brescia (Italy), May 15th~ 18th 2008
In 1988, Chopard supported the famous Mille Miglia race for the first time, and in the same year it presented the first Chopard Mille Miglia Chronograph. This year 375 vintage and classic cars - all constructed between 1927 and 1957 and of inestimable value - were admitted to take part in this not-to-be-missed event to challenge each other along an ancient and picturesque route, which is precisely a Thousand Mile long. From Brescia through Ferrara to Rome and through Siena and Florence back to the starting point, the historical wooden ramp in Viale Venezia, in the heart of Brescia. Enthusiastic locals and guests bid the drivers farewell at the start and welcomed them back at the end of the race. During the three-day race, thousands of spectators lined the streets of the original 1927 route and shouted out encouragement to the drivers. Chopard is proud to be a long standing partner of this legendary street race.
The Race 2008
The first car departed on 15th of May at 7:30 pm from Viale Venezia in Brescia and on 17th of May at 22:30 pm the first car has been welcomed back. This year's winner of the Mille Miglia - a competition of regularity - in the overall ranking is the team VIARO Luciano/VIARO Antonio with its 1928 Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 Super Sport followed by the team SANCHEZ-ZINNY Fernando/BARTOLOME Juan on Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport built in 1930. Winning on Alfa Romeo created a great emotion 80 years after the famous victory of Campari & Ramponi. Karl Scheufele and his co-pilot Albert Carreras drove the race in a Mercedes 300 SL. His son Karl-Friedrich Scheufele participated with his wife Christine in an Aston Martin 1½ liter Ulster (1935). The night before departure a joyful Chopard Mille Miglia Dinner took place in the Brescia countryside with many friends and Mille Miglia supporters like Jacky Ickx and his wife Khadja, Stephan Gruhsem, Head of Communication Volkswagen, Thomas Frank, Head of Audi Tradition, Dr. Jurgen Grossmann Chief Executive Officer of RWE AG to name a few.
2008 a special anniversary: 20 years of the Mille Miglia collection
The Scheufele Family has always regarded the partnership with the Mille Miglia much more than a passive commitment, and they have personally participated since 1988 every year in the 1000-mile race from Brescia to Rome and back. It was Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, a fan of classic race cars, who came up with the idea of developing a Mille Miglia chronograph. He was convinced that aficionados of beautiful automobiles would have a weakness for fine timepieces and vice-versa, because in both cases, elegance and high performance play a particularly important role. The watch design should be sporty, and the movement should ensure the precision required for timekeeping during a race. In 1988, the idea was transformed into action and the cornerstone laid for one of the most successful Chopard collections ever. Now, every year, scores of enthusiasts and collectors wait with bated breath for the presentation of the new Mille Miglia chronograph. Again and again, the new models delight and surprise with their innovative design, new materials and additional technical functions. In 1998, for example, as a special tribute to the Golden Age of automotive sport, the chronograph appeared for the first time with its characteristic natural rubber strap bearing the Dunlop racing tire tread of the 1960's. With the presentation of the Mille Miglia 2006 Gran Turismo XL, equipped with the largest automatic calibre (44 mm diameter) to date, the company demonstrated its ability to anticipate the coming extra large trend.
The Mille Miglia Collection by Chopard has significantly increased general awareness of the race which, after a 30-year hiatus, was brought back to life as the Mille Miglia Storica and is now probably the most-loved vintage car race in the world.
The new Chronograph: Mille Miglia 2008 GT XL Chrono
As every year, Chopard presented at the occasion of the race the new Mille Miglia Chrongraph. Its power is expressed first and foremost through the contemporary sized (44 mm-diameter) steel case featuring sleek, resolutely sporting lines accentuated by integrated rectangular pushers and a tachometric scale. Confirming this forceful presence, the oversized 12 and 6 o'clock Arabic numerals are laminated beneath the sapphire crystal to create an even greater sense of strength. In the background lies the silver-coloured dial with its 12-hour counter at 6 o'clock, small seconds at 9 o'clock and 30-minute counter at 12 o'clock, enhanced by Superluminova-coated hands and hour-markers to ensure perfect readability in the dark. Red accents, the colour symbolising the Mille Miglia, are to be found on the tip of the central sweep second hand. Complete with a built-in sapphire lens, the date display at 3 o'clock contributes to the overall balance of the design.
Equipped with a screw-locked crown, the generous 44 mm-diameter case ~ available in steel or in 18-carat rose gold ~ is guaranteed water-resistant to 100 metres. In keeping with the design codes of the watches in this collection, the case-back is engraved with the route map of the Mille Miglia, the legendary 1600 km road rally that takes vintage and classic cars from Brescia to Rome and back. The Mille Miglia 2008 GT XL Chrono beats to the rhythm of a mechanical self-winding movement, chronometer-certified by the COSC, a token of its reliability and accuracy. Beating at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour, it has a power reserve of approximately 48 hours. This mechanical movement is also equipped with a stop seconds device, which allows for extremely accurate time-setting. The Mille Miglia 2008 GT XL Chrono is available in steel on a natural black rubber strap, featuring the 1960s Dunlop Racing tyre-tread motif (with steel folding clasp), or in 18-carat rose gold on a crocodile leather strap (with an 18-carat rose gold pin buckle).
The Mille Miglia 2008 model is issued in limited editions of 2008 pieces in stainless steel and 500 pieces in 18-carat rose gold.
