Chopard Mille Miglia GTS Power Control Grigio Speciale

Press Release

Chopard Mille Miglia GTS Power Control Grigio Speciale

To celebrate 30 years of partnership between Chopard and the Mille Miglia, the Geneva-based Maison presents a new sports edition of the emblematic collection Mille Miglia in subtle shades of grey – the Mille Miglia GTS Power Control Grigrio Speciale – born from its passion for “classic racing”.

This powerful grey-clad model is joining the Mille Miglia GTS collection launched in 2015 and inspired by the legendary Italian car rally for which Chopard has been serving as official timekeeper since 1988. Sophisticated aesthetics and technical excellence meet and mingle in this exclusive timepiece powered by a Chopard calibre: the 01.08-C movement, chronometer-certified by the COSC. With its “Rosso Corsa” red, grey and black detailing, its oversized numerals evoking 1950s car dashboards and its Cordura fabric strap, the new Mille Miglia GTS Power Control Grigio Speciale 1000-piece limited edition perpetuates Chopard’s beloved “classic racing” spirit.

A passion for fine mechanics

The now inseparable ties between Chopard and “classic racing” stem from the personal passion for collector’s cars nurtured by Chopard Co-President Karl-Friedrich Scheufele. This attachment found concrete expression in 1988 when the Manufacture became partner and official timekeeper of the famous Mille Miglia. Thirty years on, this endurance competition that sees over 440 classic cars vying with each other each spring along a thousand-mile route running from Brescia to Rome and back, continues to wind its way through stunning Italian scenery. Regarded by Enzo Ferrari as “the world’s most beautiful race”, it is the source of inspiration for an eponymous watch collection created by Chopard. A true benchmark in the field of contemporary watchmaking, the Mille Miglia collection annually welcomes new models featuring virile, sleekly and sophisticated designs.
 

Classic inspiration, contemporary style

The intensely grey Mille Miglia GTS Power Control Grigio Speciale is enriching this collection by revisiting the characteristics of the “classic racing” cars that took part in the Italian rally between 1940 and 1957. With its red-accented case and dial, it exudes a powerful allure and a sporty presence suited to all occasions. This contemporary timepiece issued in a 1,000-piece limited edition comes with a sturdy 43 mm-diameter case in shotblasted titanium – an extremely light and resistant material – topped by a bezel with a graduated black aluminium inlay. Its short, streamlined lugs, designed to mould the curve of the wrist to perfection, ensure optimal comfort and a unique style, complemented by an integrated strap in Cordura, a high-performance fabric used for driver race suits. Deftly combining modernity and timeless visual appeal, it is fitted with a shotblasted stainless steel folding clasp. The screw-in case-back, ensuring water resistance guaranteed to 100 metres, is secured by eight PVD-treated black screws and engraved with the inscription “Brescia > Roma > Brescia”. Ensuring pleasing colour coordination, the tinted crystal, framed by a bright red gasket, provides fascinating glimpses of the Chopard movement, its prestigious finishing and its openworked oscillating weight.
 

Contrasting effects for a distinctive aesthetic

While the Mille Miglia GTS Power Control Grigio Speciale does as its name implies feature various shades of grey, it also plays on contrasts. Its finely stippled anthracite dial is lit up by the flamboyant “Rosso Corsa” red tip of the central sweep-seconds hand, as well as the arrow-shaped Mille Miglia logo framing the date aperture. The black Super-LumiNova®-painted oversized 6 and 12 o’clock Arabic numerals stand out clearly against the dial backdrop. Recalling the dashboard of historical cars, they meet the readability demands of the Italian car rally which is raced in any weather. With the same purpose in mind, the broad facetted sword-shaped hands and the metallic applied hour-markers are painted with a black luminescent material. Just as drivers keep an eye on petrol level during the 1,600 km of the Mille Miglia, owners of a Mille Miglia GTS Power Control Grigio Speciale will be able to check the power reserve of their timepiece by means of the dedicated indicator. The latter is indeed inspired by the petrol gauges of the cars competing in the race.

High-precision watch engine

A classic car involves a certain mindset, combined with streamlined bodywork designed to enhance performance, as well as a throbbing motor. The imposing yet subtle design of the Mille Miglia GTS Power Control Grigio Speciale houses an ‘engine’ boasting equally remarkable precision and performance. Entirely developed, produced and assembled in the Fleurier Ebauches workshops of the Maison Chopard, the calibre 01.08-C is chronometer-certified by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC). Endowed with a generous approximately 60-hour power reserve, this mechanical movement with automatic winding drives the hours, minutes, seconds and date functions. A powerful grey watch of strong character radiating an undeniable sense of chic, the Mille Miglia GTS Power Control Grizio Speciale embodies the Chopard spirit of “classic racing” interpreted in a resolutely contemporary mod