The limited Mille Miglia 2018 Race Edition represents the 27-year-old friendship between Belgian former racing driver, Jacky Ickx and Co-President of Chopard, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele.
The two businessmen come together to present a collection that reflects Ickx’s tireless passion on the track, combined with the style and opulence synonymous with the 158-year-old Swiss brand.
The collection is also a celebration of 30 years since Chopard became partner and official timekeeper of Mille Miglia – la corsa piu bella del mondo. Only 1,000 of the prestige watches will be available in steel, and 100 available in a version combining 18-carat rose gold and steel. The timepieces have been designed with an anthracite-turned dial in a nod to classic automotive dashboards.
Passionate watch specialist The Hour Glass, with its thoughtful selection of brands and unsurpassable retail experience, was the perfect luxury retail group to team up with Chopard for the debut. Headquartered in Singapore with 40 boutiques across the Asia–Pacific region, reported revenues of the retail brand weigh in at around US$734.9 million.
The limited and COSC-certified collection is a reminder of the brand’s commitment to ethical luxury. In 2013 Chopard launched ‘The Journey to Sustainable Luxury’, a program with a strong focus on respectful sourcing and accountability of raw materials.
Working in partnership with Eco-Age, Chopard started a relationship with the Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) – an NGO aimed at supporting the lives of artisanal gold miners in remote South American community mines.
From launching the world’s first L.U.C. Turbillon QF Fairmined watch made completely of Fairmined gold in 2014, to joining forces with an ethical gold mine in Bolivia and using responsibly mined emeralds in its Green Carpet Collection of High Jewellery, Chopard is the leader for sustainable change in jewellery and watchmaking.
The independent and privately owned brand has a revenue of US$845 million, and over 2,000 employees. Focusing on exceptional craftsmanship the luxury maison continues to thrive among global competitors Cartier, Tiffany & Co., and Bulgari, to name a few.
With its headquarters located in Geneva, innovation and artistry remain at the forefront of the brand. Specialising in over 30 different crafts with a strong emphasis on in-house training, Chopard’s jewellery and watchmaking artisans are spread across three manufacturing sites working on intricate designs adorned by the world’s elite.
It seems only fitting that the iconic, highly anticipated collections continue to decorate the red carpet of the Cannes Film Festival every year since 1998.
