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For Chopard co-owner Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, the Mille Miglia is not a contest of outright speed. It is a demanding regularity challenge—and a way to keep classic cars’ character and stories in public view. His recollections of driving a 1929 Bentley through bad weather, learning to drive in his father’s Jaguar and building Chopard’s relationship with the event show how the rally connects motoring experience with watchmaking.
Why classic cars matter to Scheufele
Scheufele traces his interest in cars to his father, an enthusiast and collector. He says he learned to drive in the family’s Jaguar 3.8 Mk II and also remembers loving its Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster. In a 2024 interview with Monochrome Watches, he said the Roadster is now part of his own collection, alongside a 300 SL Gullwing. Those details are his account of his family’s cars and his collection.
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Mille Miglia Story: 1927-1957 | $165.20 | Buy on Amazon |
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What he values in classic cars is the feeling of driving them: a more focused, analogue experience than simply getting from one place to another. The Mille Miglia gives him a reason to take historic cars onto the road, but also puts them in front of people who might otherwise encounter them only as static exhibits. “To me, it’s also about keeping the spirit of these cars alive and showing them to the public as well,” he told Monochrome Watches.
What makes the modern Mille Miglia a regularity challenge?
The original Mille Miglia was a public-road speed race, held from 1927 to 1957. The revived event has a different character. Scheufele and Chopard describe it as a regularity challenge for historic cars: crews must navigate the route and meet prescribed timing targets, not simply drive as fast as possible. The event organizer likewise characterizes the present rally as a regularity race for historic cars.
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That changes what good performance means. Driver and navigator need to follow the route, keep a consistent pace and hit timing points accurately. Scheufele says a missed turn can cost time, and that crews use practice and timing equipment. Mechanical preparation matters too: a breakdown can undo an otherwise careful run.
He has competed with Jacky Ickx several times and says the experience often matters more than winning. The teamwork is part of the challenge: in one recollection, Scheufele describes a navigation disagreement with his father after they missed a checkpoint. The rally tests not only the car, but the crew’s ability to stay coordinated when a plan goes wrong.
The 1929 Bentley that made a tough rally memorable
One of Scheufele’s most vivid Mille Miglia memories is driving a 1929 4.5-litre Bentley with his then-fiancée, now his wife. He recalls that the car had been restored, but that some of the work had not been done properly. The steering was unusually heavy, and oil from the axle leaked into the rear brake drums.
With poor weather adding to the strain, Scheufele remembers it as one of the toughest events he and his wife took part in—and one of the most memorable. It is a story about that car and that rally, not a general verdict on restored Bentleys: the combination of imperfect preparation, difficult conditions and a long event made the experience stand out.
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- Used Book in Good Condition
How Chopard became associated with the rally
Scheufele says a friend’s participation first prompted him to visit the Mille Miglia. After seeing the event, he approached its organizers about a chronometer partnership or sponsorship. The organizer identifies 1988 as the start of Chopard’s role, and its official 2026 partner page lists the brand as World Sponsor and Official Timekeeper. An organizer article dated 15 June 2026 says Chopard renewed the partnership for that edition.
That relationship connects the watches to the rally without making a luxury chronograph essential driving equipment. Scheufele recalled that Chopard made an edition for most event years, with two exceptions when the brand produced accessories instead. For the 2026 edition, the organizer described a route of nearly 2,000 kilometres from Brescia to Rome and back; route details belong to that year’s event, not every edition.
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What the 2024 interview said about Mille Miglia watches
Scheufele discussed two watches in the 2024 interview. The distinction was not simply between two chronographs: one was presented as that year’s event edition, while the other was a contemporaneous launch without an event tie.
| Watch discussed | Purpose and event status in the 2024 interview | Material and availability details stated in the interview |
|---|---|---|
| Mille Miglia GTS Chrono | Scheufele described it as the official edition for the 2024 event. | The steel version was offered to competitors and had an event caseback engraving. He also described a titanium limited edition for the Italian market. |
| Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph, nicknamed “La Gara” | Launched at the same time as the GTS Chrono, but not event-tied or limited, according to Scheufele. | No case material or market-specific availability detail was stated in the interview. |
These are descriptions of watches discussed in 2024, not current specifications or assurances of availability. Chopard’s current collection page lists the Mille Miglia GTS Power Control Grigio-Blu 2026 Racing Edition as a 43 mm automatic in Lucent Steel. The page identifies a current collection model; it does not establish retail stock or availability through any particular seller.
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