A Thousand Miles Of Glory: Chopard’s Mille Miglia GTS Power Control Grigio-Blu Racing Edition Is The Ultimate Gentleman Racer’s Trophy

Dawn breaks over the Italian countryside in streaks of silver and blue. The roads are still cool. Engines crackle awake. Spectators lean over barriers as a procession of automotive legends prepares to charge towards history. 

Somewhere between Brescia and Rome, where courage, stamina and mechanical precision have been tested for nearly a century, two men understand better than most what victory demands.

For Chopard Ambassador Jacky Ickx, it is instinct sharpened by experience. For fellow Ambassador Romain Dumas, it is an unrelenting pursuit of perfection. 

As they chase the horizon through the legendary Mille Miglia, one constant remains strapped firmly to the wrist: mechanical excellence.

That philosophy reaches a compelling new chapter with the Mille Miglia GTS Power Control Grigio-Blu – 2026 Racing Edition, a numbered limited edition of just 250 pieces that distils nearly four decades of Chopard’s intimate relationship with motorsport into one strikingly purposeful timepiece.

The watch arrives with the confidence of a seasoned racing champion. Its 43mm case, crafted from Chopard’s proprietary Lucent Steel™, projects strength without excess. 

The material, produced using an advanced remelting process and incorporating an 80 per cent recycling rate, possesses a brilliance approaching precious metal while offering exceptional durability and hypoallergenic comfort. 

It feels entirely appropriate for a watch born from endurance racing, where resilience is every bit as important as speed.

Yet the true theatre begins on the dial.

Rendered in a mesmerising grained blue-grey finish, the Grigio-Blu face draws direct inspiration from the asphalt ribbons that define the Mille Miglia itself. One can almost imagine Ickx carving through a mountain pass at dawn, the road surface shimmering beneath a pale Italian sky. 

The texture evokes racing tarmac worn smooth by decades of competition, while the masculine typography ensures absolute clarity under pressure.

The power reserve display, styled deliberately like a fuel gauge, is perhaps the watch’s most charming nod to motorsport. It transforms a practical complication into a storytelling device. 

Here, energy is not merely measured; it is managed, just as a driver conserves fuel, tyres and concentration during a thousand-mile battle against time.

That connection between automobile and horology has always been central to the Mille Miglia collection. Steering-wheel motifs adorn the screw-down crown. 

A discreet tyre-tread pattern lines the rubber-backed textile strap. Every detail feels considered rather than decorative, speaking fluently in the language of racing heritage.

Powering the watch is the Chopard Calibre 01.08-C, an in-house self-winding movement that embodies the Maison’s growing technical authority. Operating at 4Hz and delivering a robust 60-hour power reserve, the movement is certified by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute, better known as COSC. 

Such certification requires rigorous testing over fifteen days, guaranteeing accuracy between -4 and +6 seconds per day.

For collectors, that distinction matters.

In an age where luxury often leans too heavily on nostalgia, genuine mechanical credibility remains the ultimate currency. The Calibre 01.08-C offers exactly that, combining precision engineering with practical functionality, including a stop-seconds mechanism for exact setting and a semi-instantaneous date display.

As Chopard Co-President Karl-Friedrich Scheufele explains: “With the Mille Miglia GTS Power Control Grigio-Blu – Racing Edition, we wanted to express what endurance truly means today: reliability, clarity and mechanical precision, combined with a strong, contemporary design.”

The statement resonates because Scheufele has earned the right to make it. Chopard’s association with the Mille Miglia is not a marketing exercise but a genuine passion project. Since becoming World Sponsor and Official Timekeeper in 1988, the Maison has embedded itself deeply within the culture of the race. 

Scheufele himself has participated annually since 1989, transforming what began as a partnership into one of luxury watchmaking’s most authentic motorsport relationships.

Indeed, the first Mille Miglia watch emerged directly from that collaboration, establishing a design language that has evolved continuously for almost forty years. 

Today, the collection occupies a rare position within modern horology: instantly recognisable, historically credible and emotionally connected to one of the world’s most celebrated automotive events.

For those unfamiliar with the race, the Mille Miglia occupies a mythical space in motoring culture. First held in 1927, the thousand-mile route across Italy became a proving ground for some of history’s greatest drivers and machines. 

Enzo Ferrari famously called it “the most beautiful race in the world,” a description that remains difficult to dispute. It is not merely a competition but a moving celebration of engineering, courage and national identity.

That spirit is vividly embodied by Ickx and Dumas. One represents a golden age of endurance racing; the other continues to redefine its modern boundaries. 

Together they form an ideal lens through which to understand this watch. The former values heritage. The latter demands performance. The Mille Miglia GTS Power Control Grigio-Blu delivers both.

Which brings us to the question serious collectors inevitably ask: why does this watch matter?

Because it succeeds where many commemorative editions fail.

Rather than relying solely on nostalgia, it offers tangible substance. The Lucent Steel™ construction is genuinely innovative. The COSC-certified in-house movement provides legitimate horological credibility.

The Grigio-Blu dial possesses a distinctive identity absent from many competitors. Most importantly, the watch remains deeply connected to the event that inspired it.

Limited to only 250 pieces and available exclusively through Italy’s retail network and Chopard boutiques worldwide, it is unlikely to remain available for long.

For loyal Chopard collectors, it represents another important chapter in one of watchmaking’s most enduring motorsport stories. For newcomers, it may well be the most compelling gateway into the Mille Miglia universe.

Either way, like the race itself, this is not a watch designed for spectators. It is built for those who understand that true greatness is measured not simply by crossing the finish line, but by the relentless pursuit of it.

The Mille Miglia GTS Power Control Grigio-Blu – 2026 Racing Edition watch retails at RM 32,640 and is available now, exclusive to Chopard boutiques worldwide. In Malaysia, Chopard is located at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Bukit Bintang and Suria KLCC. 

*Photos courtesy of Chopard.