Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph Tribute to Sir Stirling Moss

The Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph : Tribute to Sir Stirling Moss

Chopard honours a racing masterstroke with a limited edition

With the Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph Tribute to Sir Stirling Moss, Chopard celebrates one of the greatest feats in motorsport history. Crafted in the Maison’s Lucent Steel™ with a 40.5 mm diameter and equipped with a precision chronograph movement, this limited-edition timepiece is produced in just 70 pieces – an exclusive nod to the 70th anniversary of Sir Stirling Moss’s legendary 1955 victory at the Mille Miglia. On May 1st of that year, he and co-driver Denis Jenkinson took the chequered flag in the gruelling 1000-mile race with a record time of 10 hours, 7 minutes and 48 seconds, averaging an astonishing 97.96 mph (157.65 km/h) – a record that stands to this day.

A fitting horological tribute to a record time

Chopard proudly marks the 70th anniversary of Sir Stirling Moss and Denis Jenkinson’s legendary 1955 Mille Miglia victory with a special edition of its Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph. Limited to just 70 pieces, the Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph Tribute to Sir Stirling Moss features a 40.5 mm case crafted in Lucent Steel™, Chopard’s exclusive alloy made with a recycling rate of 80%, combining resilience and brilliance. Created in accordance with Chopard’s Classic Chronograph design reshaped in 2023, the case is further enhanced with welded lugs, a detail that echoes the architecture of vintage racing cars. “As a long-time participant in the Mille Miglia, I felt it was only fitting to honour such a legendary drive with an equally exceptional timepiece”, said Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, Co-President of Chopard.

A distinctive ‘glass box’ sapphire crystal offers a clear view onto the silvered, opaline dial that recalls the matte silver colour finish of Stirling Moss’s winning ‘Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR’– an icon of the ‘Silver Arrows’ era. Baton hands and hour markers coated with Grade X1 Super-LumiNova® ensure legibility even during the most demanding overnight rallies, while a perforated brown calfskin strap guarantees comfort on and off the road.

British heritage and Swiss precision

The watch is powered by a mechanical self-winding chronograph movement, offering a 54-hour power reserve and certified for precision by the COSC. A tachymeter scale reinforces its sporting credentials. Turning the watch over reveals a remarkable exhibition case-back. Its centre showcases the series’ limited edition of 70 pieces, flanked by the Mille Miglia motif around the perimeter, along with the date of the race and the Moss-Jenkinson duo’s record-breaking time. As for the sapphire crystal it is also engraved with a chequered flag intertwined with the Union Jack, a subtle tribute to its namesake’s British legacy.

Practice makes perfect

Preparation was the foundation of Sir Stirling Moss and Denis Jenkinson’s extraordinary performance in the 1955 Mille Miglia. Their car was a cramped, open-top roadster equipped with a 300-horsepower, fuel-injected straight-eight engine and lightweight ‘Elektron’ magnesium bodywork, bringing its total weight to just 901 kilos.

In the months leading up to the race, the pair meticulously studied the course. Denis Jenkinson, a journalist for Motor Sport magazine, joined Sir Stirling Moss in regular Mercedes-Benz road cars to drive the entire route multiple times. He recorded every corner, hazard and nuance of the road on an 18-foot scroll of paper, which could be wound forward and back using a dashboard-mounted contraption of his own invention.

Communication was impossible due to deafening wind and engine noise. Instead, Denis Jenkinson developed a system of hand signals to guide his copilot at high speeds. “The Mille Miglia was the only race that really frightened me – at least until the moment the flag fell,” Sir Stirling Moss would later admit.

Despite their precautions, the race was not without drama: they clipped straw bales, slid into a ditch on the Radicofani Pass, and left their 28-second pit stop before mechanics had even finished refuelling. And yet, they triumphed – securing a place in history with a record that has never been broken. Denis Jenkinson’s account of their journey, published in Motor Sport, remains one of the most celebrated pieces of motoring journalism ever written.

38 years of Mille Miglia, one enduring friendship

Sir Stirling Moss’s enduring connection with Chopard was rooted in a shared passion for motorsport and the legendary Mille Miglia. His friendship with the Scheufele family grew from mutual respect and a love of classic cars, while he also became known for wearing Chopard Mille Miglia watches. “Chopard to my mind are one of the finest watches available and I rarely wear anything else”, he once said.

Since 1988, Chopard has served as World Sponsor and Official Timekeeper of the Mille Miglia, creating a new watch every year to commemorate the race. Furthermore, Chopard Co-President Karl-Friedrich Scheufele has himself competed in every edition since 1989, making this year his 37th consecutive start.