2023 Chopard Mille Miglia watch features recycled steel and ‘60s Dunlop tyre tread pattern
Chopard has once again marked the Mille Miglia with a limited edition watch – this time made from recycled Lucent Steel
Chopard has downsized its Mille Miglia chronograph for 2023 to 40.5mm; 2022’s was 44mm
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Plenty of watch brands involve themselves with motor sport, but few can claim the loyalty to a single event that Chopard has shown to the celebrated Mille Miglia. This year’s edition (from June 13-17) will mark the watchmaker’s 36th year as its official timekeeper and main sponsor – and the 35th time that Chopard co-president Karl Friedrich-Scheufele will compete in it.
He first did so in 1989 accompanied by six-time Le Mans winner Jacky Ickx. Ickx has since occupied the navigator’s seat on more than a dozen other occasions, alternating between Scheufele’s wife, Christine, and, more recently, his daughter Caroline-Marie.
Since brokering the partnership with the Mille Miglia, Chopard has produced 33 different designs of the Mille Miglia wristwatch (a new one is created each year) together with a pendant watch featuring an enamelled map of the course (for 1989) a hand-held stopwatch (1990) and a pair of MM cufflinks (1992).
The not-insubstantial Mille Miglia entry fee (a minimum of £13,250 this year) entitles each crew to a special Chopard Mille Miglia watch engraved with their car’s race number.
Mere fans of the event, however, can buy un-numbered versions of the watches, a limited quantity of which are made available for public sale each year.
The 2023 editions are the first to be made from Chopard’s ‘Lucent Steel’ which is made from scrap recycled from the medical, aerospace, car and watch industries to create a steel that’s claimed to be 50% more resistant than the standard.
The Lucent Steel cases of the watches measure 40.5mm in diameter (downsized from past models) and, depending on the model, are fitted with a rubber strap that mimics the tread pattern of a ’60s Dunlop race tyre or driving glove-inspired tan leather bands.
What makes this year’s Mille Miglia watches really stand out, however, are their dials: each of the four variations is based on paint hues typically seen on the type of pre-1957 cars that are eligible to take part. That means a choice of Rosso Amarena (cherry red), Grigio-Blu (grey blue) and Verde Chiaro (pale green) – all of which have satin-brushed finishes – and the more sober Nero Corsa (racing black).
As usual, the watches carry a miniature of the distinctive Mille Miglia arrow route marker on the dials and an engraved version on the case back.
The Nero Corsa model will be made in 1400 examples with the red and green being limited to 500 apiece and the bi-metal (gold and steel) Grigio-Blu version limited to 300.
Chopard Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph Lucent Steel, from £8,030. chopard.com
IWC might be best known for its aviation watches, but it is also committed to the automotive world. In 2004 it joined forces with AMG, became the official engineering partner of Mercedes F1 a decade ago and formed its own classic racing team in 2018. This new 500-piece edition of the Big Pilot celebrates those motoring ties with a 46.2mm titanium case and a blue dial. IWC’s 52110 automatic movement sits inside and the back of the watch is engraved with the Racing Works logo. It is initially available at boutiques in Zürich, Dubai and Shanghai.
IWC Big Pilot Racing Works, £12,700. iwc.com
Alpineracer is a Swiss-based content production team which makes films, social media content and marketing material. Its three founders are ‘adventure drivers’ who recently completed an 11-day trip to Norway’s North Cape – in a 35-year old BMW E30. Zürich brand Maurice de Mauriac served as official timing partner and (of course) produced this special edition chronograph to mark the occasion. The 42mm steel watch has the North Cape’s co-ordinates engraved on the back.
Maurice de Mauriac Expedition E30, £4000. mauricedemauriac.com
Precision is written by renowned luxury goods specialist Simon de Burton