Chopard  Mille Miglia  Watches

Chopard Mille Miglia: Inspired by Iconic Racing Cars

Chopard is famous for its high-quality Swiss watches, and the brand also has been prominent in its role as the official timekeeper of the Mille Miglia car rally. This race, which takes place every year in Northern Italy, is the most prestigious classic car endurance race in the world. The Chopard Mille Miglia line takes inspiration from the classic cars that compete in this iconic race. Thus, this line is a perfect collection of watches for enthusiasts of motorsports and watches alike. 

These luxury timepieces are highly sought after by watch collectors and connoisseurs because of their famed precision, elegance, and investment value. The timeless designs of the Chopard Mille Miglia collection sport intricate details that highlight automotive parts such as dashboards, engines, and even tires. One great example of this is the Chopard Mille Miglia GTS Ref. 168565-3001, which has a black rubber strap with details mimicking the treads of tires. The in-house calibers of Mille Miglia watches are also COSC-certified, which ensures their quality and reliability. With unparalleled quality and great attention to detail, no one can deny that Mille Miglia watches are must-have pieces.

Prices at a Glance: Most Popular Chopard Mille Miglia Watches

How much does a Chopard Mille Miglia cost? 

The Chopard Mille Miglia collection is vast and has two categories: the classic Mille Miglia and the Mille Miglia Gran Turismo. Mille Miglia Classic watches have more vintage styles and feature three subdials along with a date display. On the other hand, the Mille Miglia Gran Turismo watches provide a noticeably more modern twist to the classic designs, sporting chronographs, and three-hand models. 

The Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph is the original version in the collection, and it has been in production since 1988. Its newer models remain relatively unchanged and retain most aspects of the original. The designs for these classic watches take inspiration from the dashboard instruments of classic cars, and the timepieces feature a tachymeter scale to showcase the watches’ connection to automotive technology. In older models, the tachymeter scales sit on the bezel, while newer models have these features around the outer edge of the dials. 

The Mille Miglia Classic Chronographs boast functionality along with their unique and enduring style. They have COSC-certified chronometers that provide the watches with a date display, a small seconds dial, as well as minute and hour counters. Mille Miglia Classic Chronographs cost around $3,800 USD. Older, second-hand models in good condition change hands for around $2,700 USD.

The Chopard Mille Miglia 2019 Race Edition has a 44mm stainless steel case with a glare-proof and scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. Chopard only produced 1,000 pieces of this limited-edition watch, and this timepiece is unsurprisingly valuable. You can get one of these special watches for around $10,000 USD.

Another limited-edition model worth considering is the Chopard Mille Miglia Classic XL Rosso Corsa, which the brand released in 2011. This watch takes inspiration from the eponymous rosso corsa or “racing red”, the red international motor racing color of Italian race cars. The Mille Miglia Classic XL Rosso Corsa itself is a sporty watch that has a bold and bright red dial with contrasting white and silver tones. Its appearance is certainly striking and visually appealing, particularly for those who love red or are into the red racing cars the watch represents. It also exhibits the brand’s great attention to detail with its magnifier lens over the date. Furthermore, the words “ROSSO CORSA” and “One of 1000” adorn the exhibition case back of this captivating 44mm watch. The Chopard Mille Miglia Classic XL Rosso Corsa changes hands for around $9,570 USD.

For those who prefer sports watches with a smaller diameter, the Chopard Mille Miglia Ref. 8331 is an excellent choice. This model has a 39mm stainless steel case with an inner tachymeter bezel and comes in a number of color combinations. Like most other Mille Miglia watches, the Ref. 8331 also comes with a small seconds dial as well as 30-minute and 12-hour counters. You can buy this watch for around $3,900 USD.

The Chopard Mille Miglia Gran Turismo (GT) watches sport more modern designs than the classic models. Unlike the classic Mille Miglia watches that take inspiration from cars produced before 1957, the Mille Miglia GT watches are modeled after race cars from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. These watches come in stainless steel, titanium, and rose gold cases. They also have highly efficient calibers and power reserve indicators.

A notable model of the Mille Miglia GT watches is the Chopard Mille Miglia GTS Ref. 168566-3011, which has a clean and simple dashboard design. This stainless steel watch has a stunning blue dial with a tachymeter on the outer bezel and a date indicator at the 3 o’clock mark. The watch is powered by the automatic caliber 01.08-C movement, ensuring great precision and an efficient performance. Prices for the Chopard Mille Miglia Gran Turismo watches range from $3,500 USD to $6,200 USD, depending on the model. Some 18K rose gold models even sell for up to $17,000 USD.

Chopard Mille Miglia — Is it a good investment?  

The Chopard Mille Miglia collection is perhaps the brand’s most famous line of watches, and with such a diverse set of styles to choose from, you can find one that best suits your wardrobe and lifestyle. These watches also boast undeniable reliability, especially those equipped with Chopard’s in-house calibers. For this reason, those with in-house calibers cost a bit more than the models that have Valjoux or ETA calibers. Because of the watches’ unique designs and the remarkable prestige attached to the brand, Chopard Mille Miglia watches are definitely worth considering.

Chopard releases new Mille Miglia watches each year to anticipate the upcoming rally races of that year — because of this, the brand never fails to deliver unique limited-edition watches annually. The brand releases 1,000 pieces of the Chopard Mille Miglia Race Edition, making them highly collectible and exclusive. These limited-edition watches typically cost between $2,600 USD and $7,500 USD, but their uniqueness makes them worthy investment pieces.

History Behind the Chopard Mille Miglia Collection

The Chopard Mille Miglia has a rather rich history. Its name and origin are derived from the Mille Miglia, one of the first endurance road races in the world. The first Mille Miglia race took place in 1927, spanning from the City of Brescia in Northern Italy to Rome and back. This race has been an annual event until its sudden end in 1957. Twenty years after its closure, the Mille Miglia was reborn as the Mille Miglia Storica. The race now only involves classic cars produced between 1927 and 1957.

For a long time, Chopard has been the official timekeeper and sponsor of the Mille Miglia, and the brand solidified its ties with the rally race through the Chopard Mille Miglia watches. Chopard's co-founder and CEO, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, learned of the race in 1987 and completed the race with his father. Because of his passion for this race, Scheufele also started a partnership between Chopard and the Mille Miglia rally the following year. Scheufele has competed in every edition of the race since then, often with racing driver Jacky Ickx.

Chopard released the first Mille Miglia watch in 1988, and they gave these limited-edition watches exclusively to the 400 competitors in the race. The watches had a classic round case with tachymeter scales for measuring speed, and they were legible enough that drivers could view them without taking their eyes off the road. Design-wise, these sports watches took inspiration from the dashboards of vintage cars and had a sporty yet elegant look to them. Since then, Chopard released new limited-edition watches every year in anticipation of the races that took place annually.

5 Reasons to Buy a Chopard Mille Miglia Watch

1. Chopard Mille Miglia watches boast inimitable designs that take inspiration from classic cars.

2. They come in cases of stainless steel, gold, or titanium with scratch-resistant sapphire crystals.

3. Chopard Mille Miglia watches have a rich history and remarkable reputation.

4. They have a large number of limited-edition models, and they are must-have timepieces for watch collectors and fans of motorsports.

5. The watches have COSC-certified calibers that ensure their quality.

Famous Patrons of the Chopard Mille Miglia Watch

The Chopard Mille Miglia is a watch collection that has given Chopard a legendary status in the Swiss watchmaking industry. It’s a watch line that takes great pride in its prestige, precision, and elegance. As a result, some celebrities and other famous personalities have worn these unique and iconic watches and keep them in their collections.

In the 2019 Netflix blockbuster 6 Underground, for example, the Mille Miglia experienced a significant amount of screen time. The lead character, played by Ryan Reynolds, is a rogue billionaire that can be seen wearing his elegant-looking Chopard Mille Miglia GTS Power Control watch throughout the film. Actress Mélanie Laurent’s character also sported a Mille Miglia watch, and the model she wore was the Mille Miglia Racing Colours chronograph with a “Speed Yellow” dial. Aside from the Mille Miglia watches, this Michael Bay film also featured some other creations from Chopard — such as one of their most prestigious diamond necklaces.

Chopard Mille Miglia: Rooted in Racing History

With the amount of prestige that this legendary collection possesses, it’s difficult to resist the urge to buy a Chopard Mille Miglia watch. Much like the vintage and classic cars that the watches take inspiration from, the Mille Miglia watches boast impressive precision, elegance, and style like no other. With all that said, it’s undeniable that these watches are great investment pieces that deserve recognition.