BASELWORLD 2015 saw Chopard bringing out a new line of its Mille Miglia GTS collection, including a Power Control piece. While the aesthetics of the watches released were fresh yet still classical enough — difficult to fault, in other words — the bigger news about these watches was the inscription on their dial. Written there (and still is today) was “CALIBER 01.08-C.” This declared Chopard’s shift toward using in-house movements was well and truly underway; the watchmaker around three years earlier had set up the Chopard Fleurier Ebauches, after all.
Since 2015 numerous interpretations of the Mille Miglia GTS Power Control (as well as the other Mille Miglia GTS models) have reached the market, and Chopard’s ability to depict the watch in what basically are mere colorway changes is nothing short of a feat. Each of the Mille Miglia GTS Power Control interpretation remains identifiable as a piece belonging in the line — well, that power reserve meter is hard to miss — but each one too is distinct. The monochromatic “Grigrio Speciale” limited-edition piece from last year is a good example of this deft colorway management. The watches look the same. Yet different.
The new Mille Miglia GTS Power Control in a steel and 18-karat rose gold attire is yet another notable proof. Limited to only 500 examples, this two-tone model cleans up well; where other Mille Miglia GTS Power Controls can be likened to Nomex suits, this one is a tweed sport coat/stringback leather gloves/suede driving moc affair.
Still measuring 43 millimeters wide, the case of the Mille Miglia Power Control wraps over a ruthenium gray dial with what appears to be a sunray finish. Over this sits gilt touches on the applied hour numerals and markers, as well as on the stout hour and minute hands. Both the second hand and power reserve indicator are in gold, too. SuperLuminova coats over the hour and minute hands, and the hour markers. Bits of red still brighten up the dial, the most conspicuous of which is the Mille Miglia road sign arrow adorning the date window.
The slim bezel of the watch remains, this time rendered in rose gold with a black insert. The crown is in rose gold as well. Rounding out the Mille Miglia GTS Power Control’s makeover is a cognac-colored, perforated calfskin leather strap. The 1960s Dunlop racing tire pattern, a signature cue on the rubber strap of the original model, in this two-tone rendition becomes the inside lining of the leather strap. Cool.
Turn the watch over and the Mille Miglia GTS Power Control’s sapphire crystal window on the caseback displays Chopard’s cal. 01.08-C. This decorated, 40-jewel, self-winding movement beats at 28,800vph and packs power good for 60 hours. Plus, it is a COSC-certified chronometer, so it could be relied on to accurately time driving journeys of any distance. Of course, it’s all the better if the drive is on the Brescia-Rome-Brescia loop, as engraved on the caseback. This is the Mille Miglia’s route, you know.
