Dating back to 1988, Chopard’s association with the historic Mille Miglia rally has spawned an enduring family of motoring chronographs and racy watches
By Alex Doak

There is nothing quite like the Mille Miglia. A classic-car rally staged every year along the titular 1,000-mile loop from Brescia to Rome and back to Brescia again, 400 of the world?s most beautiful cars pass through some of the world?s most beautiful scenery.
Despite so much of Tuscany and Lombardy being utterly poverty-stricken, the villagers turn out in their droves to cheer on the wealthy petrolheads in their priceless chariots.
And despite the Mille Miglia having been a ?regularity rally? since 1977, after a hiatus caused by ten fatalities in 1957, these priceless cars are driven hard ? the local Carabinieri literally encourage the drivers to speed through red lights along packed streets.
It is a gruelling three days of 18-hour days, but a jubilant one. And Chopard has been synonymous with the event since 1988, making it the single longest watch-brand automotive association ? longer than Breitling and Bentley, Oris and Williams, even Rolex?s sponsorship of the 24 Hours of Daytona (although of course the Daytona itself has been around a lot longer). 

Virtually every year, Chopard co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele competes himself, with either his wife or racing legend and friend of the brand, Jacky Ickx and every year, each driver receives a special-edition Chopard chronograph in their ...