On April 21, 2024, over 70 classic cars manufactured pre-1958 began their four-day excursion covering over 1,000 miles through some of Southern California’s most scenic routes as part of the 33rd edition of the California Mille. For the sixth year in a row, Chopard served as the Official Timekeeper of the rally, which began in La Jolla and ended at Westlake Village in Los Angeles, with the journey taking drivers through Rancho Mirage, Lake Arrowhead, Pasadena, and Valencia. This is also the sixth time Chopard has released a watch for the race; this year’s edition is the Chopard Mille Miglia GTS Automatic Chrono California Mille 33rd Edition watch, which marries details from both the Italian Mille Miglia and its Californian counterpart.
Limited to 25 pieces, the Chopard Mille Miglia GTS Automatic Chrono California Mille 33rd Edition sports a 44mm case fashioned from Lucent Steel — a proprietary steel alloy 50% harder than traditional steel and composed of at least 80% recycled materials. The 13.79-mm-thick case is water-resistant to 100 meters and is furnished with an 8mm screw-down winding crown. Flanking the large crown is a pair of mushroom-type chronograph pushers engraved with a knurled pattern on the surface, which is not only decorative but also provides better traction for the finger that presses them.
Contrasting with the vertical satin-brushed case middle and lugs is the polished Lucent Steel bezel, fitted with a slim green ceramic insert. As a racing chronograph, it comes as no surprise that the bezel includes a tachymeter scale, rendered in white. And to complete the colors of the Italian flag, there’s a red ring adjacent to the green and white bezel.
The beige-toned dial continues the Italian flag palette with red and green racing stripes, a green flange with a 60-minute/second track, the red California Mille logo, and a trio of red hands. The three snailed subdials are positioned at 6, 9, and 12 o’clock (12-hour counter, small seconds, and 30-minute counter, respectively) leaving room for the magnified date window at 3 o’clock. Finally, the faceted hour markers and baton-style hour and minute hands are painted with Super-Luminova for low-light legibility.
The screwed-in steel caseback is engraved with a “USA LIMITED EDITION 25” inscription. Although Chopard doesn’t specify the caliber that sits beneath the caseback, the company states that it’s a COSC-certified, 4 Hz chronograph movement with a 48-hour power reserve. Measuring 30.40mm by 7.90mm and including 240 parts and 25 jewels, it’s assumed that the movement is based on ETA/Valjoux 7750.
Chopard pairs the Mille Miglia GTS Automatic Chrono California Mille 33rd Edition chronograph with a brown calfskin perforated strap lined with rubber. Like other Mille Miglia watches, the underside of the rubber lining features the 1960s Dunlop Racing tire tread pattern. The strap is equipped with a triple folding steel clasp.
The link between cars and watches is a personal one for Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, Chopard Co-President. He has a passion for classic cars, and it was under his leadership that Chopard became the world partner and official timekeeper of the 1000 Miglia in 1988. As he puts it, “Lovers of fine cars often have a great weakness for precious timepieces, and vice versa. Extreme precision and sporting elegance are important in both these fields.” The Chopard team entered the 2024 California Mille with a vintage blue Porsche 1957 356A (T2) Speedster, a.k.a “Bluebelle,” on loan from the incredible Ingram Collection.
Retailing for $9,310 USD and limited to 25 examples, the newly released Chopard Mille Miglia GTS Automatic Chrono California Mille 33rd Edition watch is available at the company’s online store or at select boutiques. For more information, please visit the brand’s website.
