Introducing: The Chopard Mille Miglia GTS Power Control Grigio-Blu — 2026 Racing Edition
Today, the 44th historical re-enactment of the Mille Miglia begins. The race, featuring more than 400 classic race cars, starts in Brescia and ends this Saturday in Rome. While the spectacular figure-eight route might not be a proper race anymore, it’s still exciting for so many other reasons. It’s quite the spectacle to watch a long string of mythical machines from bygone eras roar past. These are cars you normally only see standing still in museums or don’t see at all because they’re hidden behind closed garage doors. The other reason the Mille Miglia is exciting is a new watch made for the race. The Chopard Mille Miglia GTS Power Control Grigio-Blu — 2026 Racing Edition is limited to 250 pieces. And it’s the vintage blue-gray dial that steals the show.
It all started in 1988 with reference 8141. This very first Mille Miglia watch was a 33mm quartz monopusher chronograph. And now, 38 years later, there is yet another Mille Miglia watch from Chopard. The driving force behind the collaboration between the race and the watch brand is Chopard’s co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele. Chopard has been the official sponsor and timekeeper of the Mille Miglia since 1988, and this long-standing partnership reflects Scheufele’s passion for classic cars. Not only did he translate his love for vintage automobiles into a partnership, but he also created the Mille Miglia watch collection, which has become a Chopard staple and a reference for automotive-themed watches. For this year’s race, the Chopard Mille Miglia GTS Power Control Grigio-Blu — 2026 Racing Edition (€7,940 / US$8,350 / £6,730 / CHF 6,900) rolls to the start line.
The Chopard Mille Miglia GTS Power Control Grigio-Blu — 2026 Racing Edition
The Mille Miglia race is a celebration of vintage cars. Yet, Chopard honors it with a contemporary-styled watch, the Mille Miglia GTS Power Control Grigio-Blu — 2026 Racing Edition. This 250-piece LE — there are not enough watches for the 800+ participants of the race — looks modern and sporty with its 43mm case and muscular crown guard. The soft-toned Grigio-Blu (blue-gray) dial is inspired by the instrument panels of classic racing cars, tying the watch to the cars racing in the Mille Miglia. This year’s edition features 77 cars that participated in the original speed race between 1927 and 1957, the last year the Mille Miglia was a race on the razor’s edge.
Sadly, on May 12th of that year, near the town of Guidizzolo, a Ferrari driven by Spanish aristocrat Marquis Alfonso de Portago suffered a tire failure. Because he was driving at an estimated 250 km/h, the puncture caused a catastrophe. The car veered off the course and into the crowd. It resulted in the deaths of Portago, his co-driver Edmund Nelson, and nine spectators, including five children. The Italian government had no choice but to discontinue the race in its original competitive format. But in 1977, the Mille Miglia was revived as the Mille Miglia Storica. Over time, this reimagined version of the legendary event became an annual highlight on the calendars of many petrolheads worldwide.
“Fuel consumption”
Back to the watch. The GTS (Gran Turismo Sport) line, which debuted in 2015, is the most modern selection of watches under the Mille Miglia banner. The GTS Power Control models feature a prominent indicator measuring the movement’s “fuel consumption.” The watch does so by mimicking an analog fuel gauge found on classic sports cars. As mentioned, the watch has a generous 43mm diameter. The 11.43mm thickness is quite moderate, though. And because the watch has short downward-curving lugs, the fit is good even on a smaller wrist.
Chopard might be a passionate supporter of cars that run on fossil fuels, but the company also cares about the environment. Evidence of this is its use of proprietary Lucent Steel, an alloy made from 80% recycled material. The bright alloy is finished with a combination of brushed and polished surfaces. Another flourish is the protected screw-down crown adorned with an engraved steering wheel motif. To ensure the watch doesn’t look too modern, the fixed bezel, marked with a 60-minute/second scale, features a slim black aluminum insert. Chopard favored this over ceramic. And rightly so. Aluminum looks warmer and is more era-appropriate than ceramic.
Nel blu, dipinto di blu
A year after the Mille Miglia race was banned, Italian singer Domenico Modugno had a hit with the song “Nel blu, dipinto di blu” (universally known as “Volare”). When you hear this song, you’ll think of Italy in the summer, a good plate of pasta, or possibly an Italian sports car of your liking. When I saw the Chopard Mille Miglia GTS Power Control Grigio-Blu Racing Edition, I thought of the song. Nel blu, dipinto di blu means “in the blue, painted in blue.” And that’s what happened to the Mille Miglia GTS Power Control’s dial.
It has been painted in a delightful shade of bluish gray and features a subtle texture. Inspired by a classic car’s dashboard, it’s timelessly elegant and perfect for a car-inspired homage. The classic color complements the applied hour markers and prominent hands. The way the historic road sign that once marked the legendary Brescia–Rome race route points to the date at 3 o’clock is almost gimmicky, but it works.
Fleurier-powered
Powering the watch is not the 240hp Colombo V12 engine under the bonnet of a Ferrari 250 GT Boano that’s participating in this year’s Mille Miglia. Instead, you get the automatic caliber 01.08-C, which is manufactured in Chopard’s Fleurier Ebauches workshops. The COSC-certified movement is visible through the display case back and operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour. It delivers a generous 60-hour power reserve and features a stop-seconds function for precise time-setting. The caliber’s industrial-style finishing includes decorated bridges, polished beveled edges, and a skeletonized rotor.
Ferrari 250GT — Image: Secret Classics
The Chopard Mille Miglia GTS Power Control Grigio-Blu —2026 Racing Edition comes fitted with a black technical textile strap. And yes, it has the signature tire-tread-pattern rubber lining. You close it with a Lucent Steel folding clasp. When you look at the blue-gray dial of this watch, do you smell the combination of hot asphalt, rubber, petrol, and oil? And if you do, would you consider this new Mille Miglia as a watch for the coming summer months? Please let me know in the comments.
