Few auto racing records still stand from 1955, and only one has a watch commemorating it.
In 1955, British driver Sir Stirling Moss finished the Mille Miglia with a record time that has remained unbroken, and Chopard is celebrating its 70th anniversary with a special edition racing chronograph.
For those who don’t speak Italian, the race’s name translates to 1,000 miles, which is the distance traveled over three days. The course travels through the Italian countryside from Brescia to Rome and back.
In its original format, the Mille Miglia was an endurance race pitting Europe’s best cars and drivers against each other. It ran from 1927 through 1938, returned in 1940, was interrupted by WWII, and resumed from 1947 through 1957.
The Mille Miglia came back again in 1977 as a regulatory race, which pits restored and conserved cars from an established period against each other. By rule, the racers must drive cars that were produced before 1957.
Chopard has been the official timekeeper of the Mille Miglia since 1988. In keeping with the spirit of the race, the Mille Miglia chronograph collection, established in the same year, has maintained a look inspired by racing watches and dashboard instruments from the late 1950s.
