The 2026 edition of the Mille Miglia starts today from the city of Brescia, an event that is now essential and unique in the international panorama of historical competitions: a race, a celebration, a journey through Italy and its deepest identity, rooted in that refined idea of the “art of living.” According to the tradition inaugurated in 1927, the route starts and ends in Brescia after passing through more than two hundred cities in northern and central Italy. A route that changes every year, but retains two invariable elements: the symbolic distance of a thousand miles and a deeply Italian spirit. Vintage cars, granted by collectors and museums, become the protagonists of a celebration in which competition gives way to conviviality, elegance and mechanical culture.
In this context, one of the longest-lasting ties in the world of contemporary luxury is also renewed: that with Chopard, the race’s historical partner and official timekeeper since 1988. A relationship that, almost forty years after its inception, continues to be based on a dimension that is more personal than strategic. “What makes this partnership authentic is Mr. Scheufele’s great passion for classic cars,” says Maison General Manager Simona Zito. “He is a collector, a true enthusiast who has directly experienced the Mille Miglia. That’s where the idea of supporting it came from: a choice that was never just about the market, but first and foremost from the heart.”
An approach that reflects the very nature of the Maison’s projects: initiatives that arise from deep passions and only later become brand languages. If the Mille Miglia represents an icon rooted in the past, the challenge today is to maintain its relevance in a context where automotive and watchmaking are undergoing a radical transformation. The answer, according to Chopard, lies in the ability to evolve without losing identity. “The Mille Miglia is an icon,” Zito continues. “And like all icons it comes from the past. Today, however, the customer is increasingly looking for objects that evoke it in a contemporary key: a strong heritage, but reinterpreted with a current language, also very young in design.”
This balance is reflected in the Chopard Mille Miglia Collection, which has been one of the Maison’s creative pillars for nearly four decades. Born in 1988 with the birth of the partnership, the collection has become an eagerly awaited annual event, capable of combining automotive aesthetic codes and mechanical watchmaking. Into this path comes the new Chopard Mille Miglia GTS Power Control Grey-Blue 2026 Racing Edition, a limited series of 250 pieces that synthesizes the collection’s most current spirit. The timepiece interprets the theme of endurance rather than speed. The 43 mm case in Lucent Steel™ – a material developed by Chopard with a high recycled steel content – expresses solidity and brilliance, while the proportions with short lugs and screw-down crown with steering wheel engraving reinforce the link with the automotive universe. Water resistance to 100 meters confirms its technical vocation.
The gray-blue dial, made of brass with a grainé finish, recalls the dashboards of racing cars and the asphalt of historic competitions. The large, highly legible graphics are inspired by analog instruments, while the power reserve indicator echoes the language of the fuel level. Faceted hands and applied hour markers, coated in Super-LumiNova®, ensure readability in all conditions, complemented by the semi-instantaneous date reading. Inside beats Chopard Caliber 01.08-C, a self-winding mechanical movement entirely developed in-house and chronometer-certified by the COSC. Independent tests verify its accuracy in different positions and temperatures. With a frequency of 4 Hz and a power reserve of 60 hours, it integrates a stop-seconds function for extremely accurate regulation. The model is completed by a black technical fabric strap with rubber reinforcement, featuring a “tread” pattern, and a Lucent Steel™ déployant clasp in aesthetic continuity with the case.
Exclusively distributed in Italy through selected Chopard boutiques, the timepiece reaffirms the collection’s vocation to combine automotive style and watchmaking culture. In an increasingly competitive industry, the language of motorsport often tends to emphasize speed and performance. Chopard’s vision, however, moves on another axis: that of durability. “We have to remember that the Mille Miglia today is no longer a race of speed, but of precision,” Zito stresses. “And this brings it very close to watchmaking: in both worlds, details, measurement and quality of construction count.”
Finally, the theme of materials adds another layer of interpretation. Indeed, Lucent Steel™ represents the synthesis of innovation and sustainability, thanks to an advanced remelting process that yields an extremely pure, durable and hypoallergenic steel. “It is not always easy to convey the intrinsic value of a material,” notes Simona Zito. “But the new generations are increasingly attentive and aware. Our task today is not just to tell them about aesthetics, but to explain what is behind the object. That’s what really makes the difference in haute horology today.”
Into this tension between memory and innovation, between analogue mechanics and contemporary awareness, comes the link between Mille Miglia and Chopard: a collaboration that celebrates the past, but continues to redefine the meaning of time, precision and luxury, while consistently looking to the present and the future.
[📷 Courtesy of Chopard]
