Chopard Mille Miglia: Chopard on Tuesday renewed its role as global sponsor and official timekeeper for the 2026 Mille Miglia vintage car race, extending a partnership that began in 1988.
The company said the renewal marks its 39th year supporting the historic road race and reflects Chopard’s long running connection to classic automobiles, watchmaking, and precision timing. Chopard made the announcement in a written statement distributed to international press.
Chopard Mille Miglia partnership, drivers and cars
Chopard co president Karl Friedrich Scheufele has long taken part in the Mille Miglia, and the brand said he will again drive one of the family s collector cars at the 2026 event. Scheufele will race alongside legendary driver and Chopard ambassador Jacky Ickx in a Mercedes Benz 300 SL Gullwing from the Scheufele collection.
Timing and design: why precision matters to Chopard Mille Miglia
The Mille Miglia is known for strict timekeeping, and organizers require competitors to maintain specified average speeds across timed sections. Chopard said that pursuit of precision has been a central design idea for its Mille Miglia watch series, which embeds motorsport cues into watchmaking.
New Mille Miglia watches for 2026
To coincide with the 2026 race, Chopard introduced two new Mille Miglia models, including the limited Mille Miglia GTS Power Control 2026 Race Edition and the Mille Miglia Classic Raticosa Chronograph. The GTS Power Control 2026 Race Edition is limited to 250 pieces, the brand said, and the Classic Raticosa Chronograph draws stylistic cues from historic racing instruments.
Chopard said the new models continue the line s emphasis on legibility, racing texture, and robust chronometry. The brand noted that the watches are aimed at collectors who follow classic cars and mechanical timepieces.
Route and anniversary context
The 2026 Mille Miglia will run for five days on a roughly 1,000 mile circuit that starts in Brescia, passes through Padua, Montecatini Terme, Rome, and Rimini, and returns to Brescia. The field will face classic mountain sections such as the Raticosa Pass and the Futa Pass, and the route passes several UNESCO World Heritage sites along the way.
Organizers expect a field of more than 400 cars to cover the loop, with crews finishing in Brescia to cross the timing line. The Mille Miglia will mark its centenary in 2027, a milestone Chopard said it plans to support as the race approaches 100 years.
Chopard provided the information in a company statement and in materials distributed to media covering the event and the watch launches.
