Chopard Mille Miglia watch commemorates Moss’s greatest race victory

“On May 1st, motor racing history was made, for Stirling Moss won the 1000-mile Mille Miglia, the first time this has been achieved by a British driver, and I had the very great privilege of sitting beside him throughout this epic drive.”

So wrote Motor Sport’s own Denis Jenkinson as the introduction to his nail-biting account of being Moss’s navigator in the 1955 event, an article that ran to a dozen pages and which is still widely regarded as one of the greatest-ever pieces of motoring journalism.

This year’s edition of the Mille Miglia marked 70 years since Moss and Jenks’ victory in which the pair set a record time of 10hr, 7min and 48sec – a feat that remained un-bested, partly because the event was banned after 1957. And since there are few things watch brands appreciate as much as an anniversary, Chopard took the chance to celebrate the milestone with this 70-piece limited edition dedicated to Moss.

It’s a watch that Chopard co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele is especially proud of, both because his brand has been the official timing partner of the modern-day Mille Miglia since 1988 and because he has competed in the event no fewer than 37 times.

The Moss watch is based on the Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph template (a new version of which is produced each year) but gets a 40.5mm Lucent Steel case fitted with welded strap lugs and a reworked crown and chronograph pushers. A distinctive ‘glass box’ crystal lends a vintage feel, as well as giving a good view of the silvered, opaline dial that recalls the matt silver paint finish of Moss’s Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Mille Miglia winner.

Baton hands and hour markers coated with Grade X1 Super-Luminova ensure the dial is legible after dark, while flipping over reveals a special case back decorated with a laser-engraved reproduction of a work by leading Australian motor sport artist Greg McNeill. The image depicts the 300 SLR from the front, its celebrated ‘722’ number clearly visible ahead of Moss and Jenks in their flimsy, open helmets.

While Moss didn’t wear a Chopard watch for the drive, he did become an unofficial ambassador for the brand in later life and was often seen sporting a Mille Miglia timepiece, notably a unique yellow-gold chronograph from ’94 and a quartz-powered steel model from ’96.He wore them on bespoke ‘tropical’ bracelets consisting of two slim metal tubes that were easy to wipe clean of oil and grime.

Chopard Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph Stirling Moss 70th Anniversary, £9230. chopard.com

We’ve highlighted the watches of British micro brand Marloe here before – notably the Coniston produced in collaboration with the Campbell Family Heritage Trust in honour of Sir Malcolm and Donald. Marloe’s new Motorsport 25 and 105, above, watches respectively celebrate the famous green and yellow livery of Jim Clark’s Lotus 25 and the black and white tachometer of the Alfa Romeo 105 coupé. Each has a 41mm steel case and a Miyota self-winding movement. The relevant models get rubber straps in green or black.

Marloe Motorsport 25 & 105, both £399. marloewatchcompany.com

Prior to founding his eponymous watch brand in 2020, industrial designer Jason Wilbur had worked on everything from drones that seek out ocean plastic to a concept car for Honda Racing. This latest horological creation to emerge from Wilbur’s California studio was inspired by a flat-six engine and displays the minutes on a sliding shuttle, where a real engine’s crankshaft would be, and the hours using a piston-driven jump-hour mechanism. The case is stainless steel and sapphire crystal. Just 10 will be made.

Wilbur Flat-Six Tourbillon Team Driver, from £88,810. wilburco.com