This is what you get when timekeeping genius meets utterly brilliant design – the staggering Chopard Mille Miglia Zagato, a timepiece that’s left me jaw-dropped. With interior parts crafted by Chopard and a case superbly put together by bodywork specialist Zagato, from Milan, no wonder this work of art will be drawing quite a lot of attention.
Both brands are renowned for their rather interesting and profitable partnerships – Zagato works with car specialists from all around the world, the Aston Martin V12 Zagato, for example, is a great personification for their skills, while Chopard has been sponsor and official timekeeper of the Mille Miglia road race for 25 years now. This limited edition watch is meant to commemorate the famous race. Moreover, it was conceived by Chopard’s Co-President, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, who had met Andrea Zagato on this very route.
At a more technical approach, the timepiece sports a 42.5 mm steel case finished in black DLC for better looks and superior resilience. There are in fact two models – an all-black version and one with a rose gold bezel featuring an insert bearing the 24-hour dual-time graduation. The start/stop chrono pusher is available in either rose gold with a red-lacquered lip or plain black. They haven’t been adding the reddish tones for nothing – red is the marker color of the Mille Miglia and the symbolic tone of Zagato.
Looking a bit closer, we notice the Z logo of Zagato on the crown and spread all over the dial, while the strap has been fitted with a gorgeously elegant central groove evoking, yet again, Zagato’s touch. The innards are pretty much astounding as well – the Chopard Mille Miglia Zagato is powered by an automatic mechanical chronograph movement with date and dual-time display – exactly the same caliber applied to the entire Mille Miglia series, signed Chopard.
We’ve said earlier that this is a limited edition timepiece – yes, unfortunately only 1000 of these will ever be manufactured, 500 of each version. They’re both available in Chopard boutiques worldwide, while Americans can also buy them from Chopard’s E-boutique. The rose-gold version costs $9,900, while the black DLC version comes a bit cheaper – $8,100.
[Perpetuelle]
