From engines to gears, from steering wheels to dials, Chopard’s tribute to Mille Miglia is a mechanical dialogue spanning time and generations. On the winding roads of Tuscany, the roar of Mille Miglia’s engines intertwines with the precise ticking of Chopard’s chronometers, weaving a timeless tale of mechanical artistry. Through exclusive interviews with legendary driver Jacky Ickx and Chopard Co-President Karl-Friedrich Scheufele and his son, we uncover how the Mille Miglia watch collection perpetuates the allure of this iconic race.
Mille Miglia Spirit: Precision Over Speed
Hailed as “the world’s most beautiful race,” Mille Miglia is far more than a test of speed. From 1927 to 1957, this open-road endurance race from Brescia to Rome and back was defined by raw velocity, until safety concerns halted it. Revived in 1977 as a regularity race centered on precise timing, it pays homage to vintage cars while traversing Italy’s breathtaking landscapes.
Jacky Ickx, six-time Le Mans champion and Mille Miglia regular, explains in our interview: “This is a regularity race… it’s not about speed, but about hitting each stage to the tenth of a second.” This pursuit of precision mirrors the essence of watchmaking. As Zurich’s legendary watchmaker Theodor René Beyer once said, “Watchmaking is a marathon.” For Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, Chopard’s Co-President and fourth-generation family member, this focus on endurance resonates deeply. Navigating the quartz crisis of the 1980s, he foresaw the longevity of mechanical watches, designing the St. Moritz steel sports watch at 22, launching the Mille Miglia collection as a sponsor in 1988, and establishing the Fleurier manufacture in 1996 to craft L.U.C movements. These milestones elevated Chopard beyond its Happy Diamonds fame, earning acclaim for intricate dials and complex in-house calibers in the competitive Swiss haute horlogerie arena.
Beyond Sponsorship
For Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, Mille Miglia is a fusion of family legacy and driving passion. Piloting a metallic strawberry-hued Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing, he races in 2025, marking his first participation alongside his son, Karl-Fritz Scheufele. He raced alongside his father, Karl Scheufele III, in 1990. Over three decades, often partnered with Jacky Ickx, he emphasizes: “We’re not just sponsors; we participate ourselves.” His near-annual participation reflects his unwavering passion.
