Autoblog

The market for automotive timepieces has become flooded in recent years. Automotive what, you ask? Watchmakers have been clamoring to find ways to associate their products with cars and racing, to the point that selecting our ten favorites from the field was a difficult task, and several fine examples had to be left out.

Chopard, meanwhile, has been one company on the forefront of the convergence with their sponsorship of the famous Mille Miglia classic rally in Italy, producing a line of wristwatches in association. The Swiss watchmaker has just unveiled the latest, a pair of jumbo chronographs that commemorate the historic race.

The Mille Miglia GT XL Chronograph is being produced in two versions. The first has a steel case with Chopard's trademark rubber strap with a tire-tread pattern taken from vintage Dunlop racing tires, and will be produced in a limited run of 2007 editions. The more exclusive edition of 500 has a black leather alligator strap and a rose gold case. Since the extra large face is crammed with the chronograph sub-dials, Chopard laser-etched the numbers 12 and 6 on the sapphire crystal itself. Flip it over and you'll find a map of the race course – from Rome to Berscia to Ferrara and back to Rome – engraved on the case back. Inside the case is the ETA 7750 automatic chronograph movement, enclosed in an exclusive package which will go on sale at Chopard boutiques worldwide next month.

[Source: Sybarites]