When looking for a premiere watch to give as a gift this holiday season, there are many brands that come to mind. However, if there is a brand that has known how to combine luxury and finesse with a slick and sports like design, that is Chopard, and especially the Chopard Mille Miglia line.

So today we shall look at a little of Chopard’s history as well as the timeline for when the Chopard Mille Miglia line started, so you can make up your mind about acquiring one of its premier timepieces. Lest begin!

Chopard’s story begins in 1860 in the small village of Sonvilier, Switzerland. Here Louis-Ulysse Chopard, a talented young craftsman, established his workshop. By virtue of their precision and reliability, his watches quickly gained a solid reputation among enthusiasts and found buyers as far afield as Eastern Europe, Russia and Scandinavia.

In 1921, the founder’s son, Paul Louis Chopard, opened a branch in La Chaux-de-Fonds and then relocated the company headquarters there. In 1937, he moved the firm to Geneva, the capital of Haute Horlogerie, or Fine Watchmaking, thereby bringing it closer to its cosmopolitan clientele. In 1943, Paul André Chopard, grandson of Louis-Ulysse, took the helm.

In 1963 he sought a buyer capable of reviving and perpetuating the brand’s rich heritage, since none of his sons wished to take over the company. This was when he met Karl Scheufele, descendant of a dynasty of watchmakers and jewelers from Pforzheim, Germany.

After a brief meeting, Karl Scheufele decided to buy the company. Under the impetus of the Scheufele family, Chopard experienced spectacular development. Renowned for its creativity, its state-of-the-art technology and the excellence of its craftsmen, it became one of the leading names in the high-end watch and jewelry industry.

The Chopard Mille Miglia Collection

As official timekeeper and sponsor of the Mille Miglia since 1988, the world's most famous regularity race for classic cars, Chopard has created a collection of watches of this prestigious event and which has become the brand's unmistakable sporting emblem. Its unique and instantly recognizable design has made this collection one of the greatest classics of contemporary watchmaking. Each edition of the Mille Miglia has its own Chopard Masterpiece.

The Mille Miglia line has two sub lines, both inspired by the cars eligible for the Mille Miglia race. The first, Mille Miglia Classic, is composed of pieces inspired by the older cars (between 1927 and 1940). Refined elegant lines give the line a vintage look. The second, Mille Miglia Gran Turismo XL is more modern in its splendor, taking its inspiration from more recent cars.

Thank you for reading! We hope you have found this brief glimpse into the Chopard Mille Miglia line helpful for your holiday shopping. Be sure to share this with friends and family and we hope you have a pleasant new year! Goodbye!