Another luxury brand collaboration with The Hour Glass…

I’ve long been a fan of Chopard’s Mille Miglia collection of watches, and today I’ve got a special edition “all-black” DLC Mille Miglia watch to show you.  Overall, the Mille Miglia timepieces are an excellent embodiment of auto-racing sport and culture, not to mention all-around cool looking watches.  This particular model is the results of a collaboration between Chopard and The Hour Glass, a famous group of Singapore-based watch boutiques celebrating 150 years in 2010. The watch is limited to just 150 pieces worldwide, but you can only buy it through the aforementioned Hour Glass.  Comes with the rubber strap (pictured) and also a black calf-strap with orange stitching. Available August 2010.  No word on price, but I would guess upwards of $10,000.

Chopard Mille Miglia Speed Black Power Control

44mm black DLC (diamond-like carbon) case Orange accents and power reserve gauge

On a side note, this is the second high end boutique/brand collaboration I recall in recent months (see:  Urwerk White Shark for Chronopassion Paris and The Hour Glass).  I’m not quite sure how these arrangements work, but I would guess that in these instances the boutiques are somehow sharing the costs (production, marketing or otherwise) of having these pieces produced exclusively for their particular boutiques.  And given the results that such collaborations can produce, I like these partnerships!

Also — You can check out all our Chopard coverage by clicking HERE>>

I like the DLC model…

For the 150th and 100th anniversary celebrations of Chopard and Alfa Romeo, respectively, the two brands have come together for a limited edition series of watches and clocks.  In fact the effort is rather ambitious as they are launching five new products – three wristwatches, a travel alarm clock and a table clock.

The Gran Turismo XL Alfa Romeo and the GT XL Chrono Alfa Romeo (available in 44mm stainless steel or stainless steel with DLC coating) feature black dial with red hands and indexes as well as the logo of the two brands.  Movement is a COSC-certified ETA base.  100 meter water resistance.

The three versions are issued in limited and numbered editions of 500.  Price unknown but I would guess around $10,000.

Chopard Gran Turismo XL Alfa Romeo

Chopard GT XL Chrono Alfa Romeo

Chopard GT XL Chrono Alfa Romeo DLC (note — black case)

Chopard for Alfa Romeo Limited Edition Desk and Table Clocks

1,000 Miles…this way…

Yes, it was just a couple days ago that I showed you a Chopard racing watch – the Chopard Grand Prix de Monaco Historique Chronograph (along with one sweet video of the event).  But when it is racing time, it is racing time and the sponsoring watches must follow!    The 2010 Mille Miglia will take place this coming Wednesday, May the 5th through Sunday, May the 9th, thus I go again with another Chopard – the Mille Miglia GT XL Chrono for 2010.  Chopard’s Mille Miglia watch is truly an iconic sports watch and Chopard has been a sponsor of the race for over 20 years now.  So what exactly is “Mille Miglia”?  Find out below, after you check out the watch:

Chopard Mille Miglia GT XL Chrono 2010

Limited edition of 2010 pieces in steel (Ref 168459-3019) and a Limited numbered edition of 250 in rose gold (Ref 161268-500)

44mm steel or rose gold case (14.36mm thick), water resistant to 100 meters, COSC-certified movement,

with natural rubber Dunlop Racing strap (1960s racing tire design) with a matching metal folding clasp

A (very) brief history of the Mille Miglia

Originally an open-road endurance race, the 24 original Mille Miglia races took place in Italy between 1927 and 1957 (thirteen before World War II, eleven after).  The race was eventually banned in 1957 after the fatal crash of a 4.2-lire Ferrari that took the lives of the Spanish driver Alfonso de Portago, his co-driver/navigator Edmund Nelson, and thirteen spectators, at the village of Guidizzolo.  The event was revived in 1982 as a road rally event which originates in Brescia, Italy and ends somewhere 1,000 miles down the road!  More at the Official Mille Miglia website!

Did You Know?

The Red Arrow, the mark of the myth.

Historically, the Mille Miglia symbol began as a marker showing the route of the rally, then becoming its most common and easily remembered symbol.  The story continues: next to the signals placed along the route at every new edition of the rally, it is fun and interesting to to see the old symbols which have remained along the historical route of the rally.

Graphically, the logo is made of a red arrow – of a determined size and shape – with “1000” written on it in numbers and “Miglia” in letters – in the historically certified, original font.   In the tip of the arrow is a white brace pointing in the same direction as the main arrow.

The 7th Grand Prix de Monaco Historique, event which takes place every 2 years, two weeks before the Monaco F1 Grand Prix.  This year the event is taking place on May 1st and 2nd, 2010 — occuring live as I now type, though it will be done by the time many of you read this.  Representing the vintage version of the Formula 1 Grand Prix, the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique was created in 1998 to mark the 700^th anniversary of the Grimaldi family’s accession to the throne of the Principality.  Raced along the same route through the streets of Monaco, it is reserved exclusively for classic racing cars, making it unique in its kind.  Although initially intended as a one-off event, it is now on its 7th  bi-annual event! Here’s a closer look at the event and some of the automobiles:

As a headline sponsor for the event, Chopard is representing with two new variations on its aptly named Chopard Grand Prix de Monaco Historique Chronograph:

limited edtion of 250 pieces, 42.5mm case in steel or rose gold (14.9mm thick), water resistant 50 meters,automatic movement

available on a black perforated strap with matching (blue/orange) stitching and Chopard-engraved folding clasp or a steel or rose-gold bracelet

Case-back engraved with the GPMH + Automobile Club de Monaco logo

Get yours at the Chopard Boutique Monaco, Place du Casino, Monte-Carlo.  Telephone +377 970 70 71 11.

Steel edition 168992-3031

Steel edition with steel bracelet 158992-3006

Limited numbered edition of 250 in rose gold 161275-5003

Machined titanium case shaped like an engine block…

Limited Edition of 150 pieces.  Titanium case (44mm x 35mm), Movement is Chopard’s manual wind L.U.C. 1TRM tourbillon (COSC-certified, 60 hour power reserve), power reserve indicator on dial, sapphire crystal front and back, Hand-sewn black alligator strap with matching titanium buckle.  Price?  Easily north of $50,000.

Chopard L.U.C Engine One Tourbillon

Up Close (Power reserve at top, Tourbillon on bottom)

BASELWORLD 2010 is coming soon. You can see all the hot new pre-releases on Perpetuelle.com’s Official Baselworld 2010 Forum right now! And many many more when the event starts on March 18th. Just click here!

As with prior years, a few luxury watchmakers have issued special watches to commemorate the Singapore Grand Prix this year, and I thought it only appropriate and timely to share those with you now, as these are some special and exclusive (ie very pricey) watches.  If you did not know, the only night race on the FIA Formula 1 World Championship circuit is at the Marina Bay track in Singapore.  In 2008, the first year of the “night race”, Ferrari’s Felipe Massa (wearer of all things Richard Mille) had the pole position, but it was Renault’s Fernando Alonso who took the victory.  This year, it is McLaren-Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton (wearer of all things Tag Heuer) who has the pole position but the winner is yet to be determined!

Franck Muller Conquistador Singapore Grand Prix 2009 Racing Chronograph

80 pieces in titanium, 80 in rose gold and titanium, and 6 exclusive models in pink gold with blackened titanium bezel (shown below in this order)

(photo credits: Horomundi)

2009 Chopard Classic Racing Chrono F1 Singapore Edition (Unique Piece)

18-carat rose gold, 45mm case, COSC-certified, 1960s Dunlop racing tyre-tread motif black rubber strap, with logo and commemorative mention of the 2009 F1 Singapore race featured on the back-case

Auctioned at the President’s Charity Challenge Luncheon for $35,000!

TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 16 Day Date Chronograph (Singapore Limited Edition)

(photo credit: puristspro)

If I missed any please let me know!

Perpetuelle.com Moderator James Bond recently attended a splendid “Get Together” (or “GTG” as the hard core watch enthusiasts refer to them) in Boston, MA.  The watches in attendance at this GTG were phenomenal and I wish I could have been there to enjoy them (I’m sure the people were nice, too).  In addition to a beautiful Rolex Red Daytona, the lineup of vintage watches was amazing.  I am sharing a couple teasers below, but you’ll need to click here to check out Mr. Bond’s full report on the Perpetuelle.com World Watch Forum.  Partial Listing of Watches in attendance include: Rolex “Red Daytona”, Vintage Ulysse Nardin, Vintage Omega Seamster 300, Vintage IWC, Pink dial Minerva, Omega Seamaster Broad Arrow, Chopard, Breguet Type XX, Omega SMP, (Vincent?) Calabrese.

Thanks for the great GTG report, James!

Rolex Red Daytona

Photo: James Bond

“Group Shot”

Photo: James Bond

Again, click here to check out Mr. Bond’s full report on the Perpetuelle.com World Watch Forum.

Reuters news recently reported that Swiss-watchmaker Chopard is cutting 13 jobs at a manufacturing plant and 23 at headquarters (out of a total 1,800 staff).  36 people out of 1,800 is not severe – just 2% of the workforce.

But what caught my attention as a much more telling “sign of the times” was this statement by Chopard CEO Karl-Friedrich Schefele in an interview with Swiss newspaper L’Agefi:

“There is absolutely no visibility, one or two months at best.”

This just goes to show you that no matter how rosy or optimistic the major watch brands are spinning the state of their business, I think that there are some very worrisome signs within the industryright now.

What do you think?

Originally reported at:  http://www.forbes.com/feeds/afx/2009/03/09/afx6141909.html

With further commentary at: http://www.luxist.com/2009/03/12/chopard-to-cut-jobs-on-low-sales-forecasts/