Chopard Mille Miglia 2015 Race Edition
Chopard Mille Miglia 2015 Race Edition: Italy’s racing colors
The brand introduced an exclusive limited range with the Italian racing colors for the 2015 edition of the historical Mille Miglia race, of which Chopard has been the official watchmaking partner since 1988.
By Rémy Solnon
Specialised journalist
The 2015 edition of the famous Italian car race Mille Miglia was held between 14 and 17 May. The winner was team 33; Juan Tonconogy and Guillermo Berisso drove a 1927 Bugatti T 40 on a round trip between Brescia and Rome.
A henceforth-established collection for a legendary race
The idea behind the Mille Miglia is to gather the most beautiful racing cars that took part in the race between 1927 and 1957. The race was named after the distance the participants had to drive: a thousand Roman miles, i.e. 1,600 kilometers. Chopard has been the event’s official chronometer and watchmaking partner since 1988. This partnership stems from a shared passion for car racing, as Karl Friedrich Scheufele, the manufacture’s co-president, is a big collector, and driver in his spare time, of vintage racing cars.
As a matter of fact, he partakes in the Mille Miglia with a unique car every year. He often partners up with his friend Jacky Ickx, former F1 driver and six-time winner of the legendary “24 Heures du Mans”.
Chopard has dedicated the racy and sporty Mille Miglia watch range to this prestigious partnership. They are easily identifiable by the race’s red logo on their dials. To celebrate every new edition, the collection has evolved slightly every year and has attained an international notoriety sometimes exceeds that of the legendary race. At the last edition in 2015, the watch company decided to unveil an exclusive limited series: the Mille Miglia 2015 Race Edition.
Two Race Edition versions in 2015
The Chopard Mille Miglia 2015 Race Edition is available in two versions. Firstly, we find a casual version of which 1,000 steel pieces have been produced. Secondly, there is a luxury pink gold version of which there are only100 pieces. The Race Edition is an exclusive version of the Mille Miglia GTS Power Control 2015. The former differs from the latter in that its deep red sporty dial transcends the piece and makes it more casual and homogeneous. Incidentally, Chopard already created a limited edition with red dials in 2011. It was the successfull Miglia GT XL Chrono Rosso Corsa, a flamboyant titanium 1,000-piece limited range.
The 43-mm 2015 version is of a standard size for car racing timepieces today.
Available in 18K pink gold or steel, its transparent back reveals part of the movement and the open worked and fluted oscillating mass, which is a reflection of the hood scoop in racing cars. The piece’s individual number is engraved on its rim. The anti-reflective treated sapphire glass is protected by a bezel whose black aluminum insert supports the minute-circle. The screwed back and crown guarantee a 100-meter water resistance.
Historical red
The glossy red of the dial draws the attention immediately. The color, to be more precise, is actually called “Rosso Corsa” and it the tone attributed to Italian racing cars in the early 20th century, when each country was associated with a specific color. The origin of these national colors dates back to the famous Gordon Bennett Cup during which national teams from different countries such as Germany, France, the UK and Italy raced against each other. The exceptional finish of the dial has a flattering and sporty look. The readability of the day/night indicator is enhanced by its metallic black numerals and indexes and its metallic black or gold faceted Superluminova-coated hour and minute hands.
Several details reinforce the racy and sporty look of this limited range. For example, the over-sized 6 and 12 numerals – prerogatives of the Mille Miglia collection – remind us of the dashboards in old cars. The power reserve indicator at 9 o’clock – perfectly fitted on the dial – evokes a gas gauge. The date aperture is affixed on a white back inside the red arrow logo of the Mille Miglia race, another distinctive sign of the watches in the Mille Miglia collection. The curved black flange supports the minute-circle.
Engine power and leather come-back
The “engine” of the Mile Miglia Race edition is prestigious and powerful, just like the engines of the powerful cars that take part in the race. Indeed, the pieces in this collection house an in-house movement and a COSC-certified chronometer, guarantee of high precision and reliability. The self-winding Chopard 01.08-C caliber has been entirely designed, developed and assembled by Fleurier Ebauches, a company owned by Chopard. With a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour, it is equipped with a 60-hour power reserve, the state of which can be permanently controlled from the dial thanks to the gas gauge shaped indicator.
The Mille Miglia 2015 Race Edition swaps the traditional Mille Miglia collection’s rubber strap inspired by Dunlop racing tires for a prestigious and superb black Barenia calfskin strap. The large holes on the strap complete the piece’s racy look.
Finally, the two limited ranges dedicated to the 2015 edition of the famous Italian race are superb pieces that perfectly fit the Mille Miglia collection. They are different from the other pieces in the collection in that their glossy red color makes them original without affecting the elegance this kind of watches requires. The chronometer-certified in-house movement makes it a prestigious piece in a henceforth indispensable collection from the manufacture.
Technical details
Case: 18K pink gold or steel, 43mm, 100-meter water resistance, anti-reflective treated sapphire glass, steel or 18K pink gold bezel with black aluminum insert, screwed sapphire glass case engraved with “Brescia > Roma > Brescia”, steel or 18K pink gold screwed crown
Dial : glossy red with white transferring, Superluminova-coated metallic and black appliques and numerals, power reserve indicator with white and black transferring, metallic black or faceted gold hands, date aperture at 3 o’clock, power reserve indicator at 9 o’clock
Movement: self-winding and COSC-certified Chopard 01.08-C caliber, 251 components, 40 rubies, 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz), 60-hour power reserve
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds, date, power reserve indicator;
Strap: perforated black Barenia strap with black topstitching, steel or 18K pink gold deployment buckle;
Limited ranges: 1,000 pieces (steel), 100 pieces (18K pink gold)
References: 168566-3002 (steel), 161296-5002 (18K pink gold)
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