What happens when Chopard’s Swiss watchmaking excellence meets Zagato’s Italian coachbuilding bravado? The sleek and unmistakably chic Mille Miglia Zagato. Not only does the timepiece honor the timeless appeal of both the luxury labels, but it also pays homage to their common passion for classic cars and the time-trusted Mille Miglia tradition.
As a sponsor and official timekeeper of the Mille Miglia, Chopard’s commitment is now into its 25th year. Its association with motorsports has had the Haute timekeeping house handle the execution, ‘engine’ part, and the chassis, while Zagato has participated in upholstering and building the bodywork, the ‘passenger compartment.’ The combined artistic excellence from their respective fields of expertise has led to a power-packed limited edition. It imbibes the authenticity of the Mille Miglia along with the Grand Tourer spirit of Zagato besides Chopard’s strict horological discipline.
The Chopard Mille Miglia watch has undergone the exclusive Zagato-ization. Its ‘engine’ is a self-winding chronograph movement with date and dual-time displays chosen by Chopard for its reliability and sturdiness, while the chassis is also classic Chopard, a 42.5 mm steel case with a DLC coating. It comes in an all-black or fitted with a rose gold bezel featuring a red insert bearing the 24-hour dual-time graduation.
The all-of-a-piece start/stop chronograph pusher matches the bezel’s color, either black or in rose gold, that is. It has a red-lacquered tip, though, in both versions, to symbolize both Zagato and the Mille Miglia. The upholstery, or in this case, the strap, is very reminiscent of the work of the Milanese bodywork specialist. The ‘double bubble’ roof can be deduced from the distinctive central groove, while the bright red stitching on the leather is a Zagato signature. The Z logo not only plays crown adornment but also forms the fine grey technical grid pattern occupying the entire surface of the dial or ‘passenger compartment.’ The fonts on the latter as well as on the bezel were also specially designed for the occasion.
The Mille Miglia Zagato is issued in a 500-piece limited series for the black DLC-coated steel version, and the same number for the two-tone 18-karat rose gold version.
[Via – Watch-Pro-Site]
