Chopard launched its Mille Miglia collection of motorsport-inspired watches in 1988.
The collection takes its name from Italy’s Mille Miglia road race, a historic endurance event run between Brescia and Rome and back. Chopard became an official sponsor and timekeeper of the modern re-enactment, which is reserved for eligible historic cars rather than modern racing prototypes.
Mille Miglia watches commonly use design references associated with classic automobiles, including dashboard-style details, racing-inspired numerals and rubber straps patterned after vintage tyre tread. The collection helped connect Chopard’s jewellery and watch business with automotive culture.
The name refers to “thousand miles,” although the original race distance was approximately 1,000 Roman miles in its traditional description. It should not be confused with a single watch reference: Mille Miglia is a broad Chopard collection with many editions.