Chopard Races Ahead With Two Fresh Mille Miglia Releases

March 06, 2020

This year, Chopard celebrates 38 years as the official timekeeper of the Mille Miglia race, in which historic cars will race throughout Italy from June 17th through the 21st. To mark the occasion, the brand will release two limited-edition watches available only in Chopard boutiques. Let s take a closer look at these two highly different timepieces.This June, Chopard Co-President Karl-Friedrich Scheufele will co-drive his family s vintage Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing along with brand ambassador and six-time Le Mans champion Jacky Ickx. The car is a link to two new Mille Miglia watches to commemorate this year s race.The Chopard Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph Tribute to Sir Stirling MossIn 1955, Sir Stirling Moss drove an open-topped Mercedes-Benz 300SLR with co-driver Denis Jenkinson to victory in record time. Granted, the race was canceled after the 1957 season, but the time of 10 hours, 7 minutes, and 48 seconds still stands as the fastest in history. The 70th anniversary of the victory is now being celebrated with a new watch, the Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph Tribute to Sir Stirling Moss. The 50m-water-resistant chronograph has a screw-down crown and comes on a brown perforated calfskin strap.The 40.5mm by 48.17mm Lucent steel case houses an appropriate silvery opaline dial in the same shade as Moss s Mercedes. Then, it has printed hour numerals filled with Super-LumiNova X1. Other details include blue and red printed fonts for the tachymeter and minute scale. Simple circular-grained sub-registers depict running seconds, a 12-hour counter, and a 30-minute totalizer. Naturally, a small Mille Miglia logo is on the upper half of the dial. Note the matching red tip on the central seconds counter. For an added dose of controversy, a date window sits at the 4:30 position. Honestly, it seems rather unobtrusive considering the dial tone.The chronometer-certified ETA A322-11Inside the Mille Miglia Tribute to Sir Stirling Moss lies the familiar chronometer-certified ETA A322-11 automatic movement. It has powered previous Mille Miglia models and is on display below a sapphire crystal. Additionally, and unsurprisingly, Chopard adds unique decoration to the case back. In fact, this is where I typically become frustrated due to watchmakers desire to add kitschy details. Here, however, the execution is relatively tame with crossed checkered and Union flags. The One of 70 marking across the display back feels unnecessary, but at least it s not bigger or in a brighter color. Additionally, the flange around the movement shows Moss s record time. Regarding specs, the movement has 54 hours of power reserve and a frequency of 28,800vph.Thoughts on the Tribute to Sir Stirling MossChopard will produce 70 of the Mille Miglia Tribute to Sir Stirling Moss watches and will sell them exclusively at brand boutiques. The price is $11,100, which is consistent with previous releases. In the past, I ve not always cared for the Mille Miglia chronographs. Perhaps it s because I met a participant once who had a special drivers-only edition, and I felt like other models were for pretenders. However, this year s edition is toned down and classy while honoring one of racing s all-time greatest drivers. It s a winning design and, aesthetically, competes well against normal-production chronographs from other luxury brands.The Chopard Mille Miglia GTS Power Control C 2025 Race EditionThe second watch for this year s Mille Miglia is the new GTS Power Control C 2025 Race Edition. This 43mm by 46mm Lucent Steel watch features a circular-brushed salmon dial with applied indexes and black Super-LumiNova. Apparently, the color scheme is an ode to race cars from 1940 to 1957. While I m not sure how the color relates to this era, the watch also celebrates 10 years since Chopard launched its GTS line. This bold version has a 60-minute fixed bezel with a black aluminum inlay, a power reserve indicator, a screw-down crown, and a 100m depth rating. It is paired with a racy black perforated calfskin strap.Powered by the in-house 01.02-MFor the GTS Power Control, Chopard uses the in-house 01.02-M automatic caliber. The movement is a certified chronometer with a 28,800vph frequency and a 60-hour power reserve. Once again, it is on display beneath a Lucent Steel and sapphire case back. The open rotor resembles a steering wheel and turns above louvered, skeletonized bridges. Notably, an inscription details this year s Mille Miglia route from Brescia to Rome and back. Final thoughts on the GTS Power Control C 2025 Race EditionChopard will produce 250 numbered pieces of the Mille Miglia GTS Power Control C 2025 Race Edition, each with a price of $7,800. Again, this is consistent with other models in the range and reflects Chopard s place in the luxury market. While it isn t inexpensive, the watch carries an in-house caliber, COSC certification, and exclusive production. The 43mm size limits the piece to those with larger wrists, which is perhaps my only real concern with the watch. How do you feel about this GTS model and the Stirling Moss tribute watch? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.Watch specifications Brand Chopard Model Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph Tribute to Sir Stirling Moss / Mille Miglia GTS Power Control C 2025 Race EditionReference 168619-3012 (Stirling Moss) / 168638-3001 (GTS)Dial Brass with silver opaline finish, Grade X1 Super-LumiNova Arabic numerals, blue and red accents, and date window (Stirling Moss) / Salmon with circular brushing, black and gray rehaut with white details, black hour indexes with black Super-LumiNova (GTS)Case Material Stainless steel (Lucent A223)Case Dimensions 40.5mm (diameter) 48.17mm (lug-to-lug) 12.88mm (thickness) (Stirling Moss) / 43mm (diameter) 46mm (lug-to-lug) 11.43mm (thickness) (GTS)Crystal Box-style sapphire with antireflective coating / Sapphire with antireflective coatingCase Back Stainless steel with sapphire exhibition window, affixed with eight screws Movement ETA A322-11: self-winding chronograph, chronometer certified, 28,800vph frequency, 54-hour power reserve, 37 jewels (Stirling Moss) / Chopard 01.02-M: chronometer-certified automatic with manual winding and hacking, 28,800vph frequency, 60-hour power reserve, 36 jewels, 240 components (GTS)Water Resistance 50 meters (Stirling Moss) / 100 meters (GTS)Strap Brown perforated calfskin with tone-on-tone stitching and Lucent Steel buckle (Stirling Moss) / Black perforated calfskin with rubber tire-tread-pattern lining and Lucent Steel buckle (GTS)Functions Time (hours, minutes, small seconds), chronograph (12-hour, 30-minute, and central seconds counters), date, tachymeter (Stirling Moss) / Time (hours, minutes, seconds), date, power reserve indicator (GTS)Price $11,100 (Stirling Moss) / $7,800 (GTS)Warranty Five yearsSpecial Note(s) Limited edition of 70 pieces (Stirling Moss) / Limited and numbered edition of 250 pieces (GTS)