Chopard Happy Sport 18k Rose Gold and Diamond Watch 277473-5002

How it all began

In 1988, Chopard, supported the famous Mille Miglia race for the first time and launched the Chopard Mille Miglia Chronograph that same year. As a family company, founded in 1860, Chopard has always regarded this partnership as much more than a passive commitment, and they have personally participated every year in the 1000-mile race from Brescia to Rome and back. 

It was Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, today Co-President of the firm and a fan of classic racing cars, who came up with the idea of developing a Mille Miglia chronograph. He was convinced that aficionados of beautiful automobiles have a natural weakness for fine timepieces and vice-versa.

In both cases sophisticated mechanical engineering, outstanding design and high performance play a particularly important role. The watch design was to be sporty, and the movement must ensure the precision required for timekeeping during a race. In 1988, the idea took shape and the cornerstone was laid for one of the most successful and iconic Chopard collections ever. Scores of enthusiasts and collectors now wait impatiently for the annual presentation of the latest Mille Miglia chronograph. 

A trend-setting watch collection 

Again and again, the new models delight and surprise enthusiasts with their innovative design, new materials and additional technical functions. In 1998, for example, as a special tribute to the Golden Age of automotive sport, the chronograph appeared for the first time with its characteristic natural rubber strap bearing the unmistakable 1960s Dunlop racing tyre tread. With the presentation of the Mille Miglia 2006 Gran Turismo XL, equipped with the largest self-winding calibre (44 mm diameter) to date, the company demonstrated its ability to anticipate the forthcoming "extra-large" trend. 

The Mille Miglia Collection by Chopard has also significantly increased general awareness of the race which, after a 30-year hiatus, was brought back to life as the "Mille Miglia Storica". It is now THE classic and vintage car event in the world, last but not least due to the irresistible charm of Italy and its population.

The passion goes on…

In 2010 Chopard underlined its b commitment towards the Mille Miglia by signing a new long term contract. The Scheufele family, as a tradition, again looks forward to participate in the 2011 edition of the Mille Miglia - "La corsa più bella del mondo".

Mille Miglia GT XL Chrono 2011 - The great sporting classic from Chopard

Chopard's emblematic sports watch has come to symbolise the world's most famous classic car rally, the Millie Miglia. The Mille Miglia Watch remains loyal to the annual event that has made it a classic in the field of luxury watchmaking. Immediately recognisable thanks to its natural rubber strap echoing the 1960s Dunlop Racing tyre-tread motif, it appears in 2011 in a 44 mm-diameter steel or 18-carat rose gold case housing a self-winding chronograph movement chronometer-certified by the COSC. 

The strength of true classics is that they simply will never age, provided they are perpetually reinvented. The Mille Miglia watch, an iconic sports watch since 1988 when Choaprd began its partnership with this legendary race, has become one of the great watchmaking legends.

An iconic design

The 2011 model is certainly a match for the reputation established by its illustrious predecessors. A powerful design combined with sterling technical qualities make this yet another great vintage. The Mille Miglia GT XL Chrono 2011 is distinguished by a generous 44 mm case in steel or 18-carat rose gold, framing a dial with a vintage-style design featuring elongated numerals that are nonetheless in tune with the spirit of the characteristic Mille Miglia numerals. The engine-turned dial finish is reminiscent of vintage sports car dashboards, while its black colour lends a resolutely contemporary touch that beautifully highlights the silver-toned snailed and hollowed counters at 12, 6 and 9 o'clock. The minute circle appears in black and red - a nod to the colour of the race that annually attracts the finest classic cars to the route running from Brescia to Rome.

The case of the Mille Miglia GT XL Chrono 2011 is water-resistant to 100 metres and fitted with a bezel bearing a tachometric scale, as well as a screw-lock crown adorned with the famous Mille Miglia arrow and broad chronograph pushers. The arrow symbol also appears in the centre of the transparent case-back, along with the inscriptions Limited Edition and Brescia-Rome-Brescia. The overall readability is further improved by glareproofed sapphire crystals on both sides of the watch. 

Technically irreproachable 

The Mille Miglia GT XL Chrono 2011 is equally impeccable from a technical standpoint. Its mechanical self-winding movement beating at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour is visible through the transparent case-back. Chronometer-certified by the COSC, it features a 46-hour power reserve and drives the hour, minute, date, small seconds functions, as well as the chronograph with its central seconds hand, and its 30-minute and 12-hour counters. It is also equipped with a stop seconds mechanism enabling time-setting to the nearest second..

A limited edition for collectors

The Mille Miglia GT XL Chrono 2011 is available in a steel 2,011-piece limited edition or in a 250-piece limited 18-carat rose gold version. It is fitted with a new integrated strap in natural rubber echoing the design of the famous 1960s Dunlop Racing tyres. The 2011 vintage will once again be sought-after by collectors around the world….