TRAVERSE CITY, Mich., May 6, 2024 –– The California Mille, a 1,000-mile driving adventure through Southern California’s best driving roads, celebrated its 33rd running April 21st to April 25th. Sponsored by Chopard, entrants drove cars from the era of Italy’s original Mille Miglia road race, while enjoying incredible scenic vistas, fantastic cuisine, local history and the car-loving camaraderie.

“There’s a reason we see so many people return for the California Mille year after year,” said Hagerty CEO, McKeel Hagerty. “The annual tradition is special, because it provides the perfect backdrop for enthusiasts to enjoy their cars with others that share the same passions. We’re grateful for our partners at Chopard who continue to help make this event possible for the community since 1988.”

As the “Official Timekeeper” of the California Mille, Chopard released a special limited-edition watch, the Mille Miglia GTS Automatic Chrono California Mille 33rd Edition. The new 44-mm diameter Mille Miglia GTS Automatic Chrono California Mille 33rd Edition, a chronometer-certified timepiece in Lucent Steel™ featuring multiple references to the legendary Italian endurance rally, known as “the most beautiful race in the world”.

“Lovers of fine cars often have a great weakness for precious timepieces and vice versa,” said Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, President of Chopard. “Extreme precision and sporting elegance are important in both these fields.”

This year’s California Mille featured 70 cars and was the first edition to be held entirely in Southern California. Drivers began the week at the La Jolla Concours before departing from the city of La Jolla, traveling up to the desert resort community of Rancho Mirage, then north and west through Lake Arrowhead, Pasadena, and Valencia before a final stop in Westlake Village. The 5-day driving tour included luxury accommodations, exclusive garage tours and fine dining each evening.

For more details, visit CaliforniaMille.com and its Instagram feed or click here for more photos.

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About Chopard

Since its founding in 1860, Chopard has been crafting creations exuding contemporary charm, synonymous with ethics and emotions, while perpetuating a heritage rich in tradition and artisanal savoir-faire. Driven by a resolutely positive vision of the world, the Maison accompanies the precious moments of fulfilled men and women for whom watches and jewellery are talismans celebrating lasting Joie de Vivre.

In harmony with this vision, Chopard acts through the prism of three fundamental elements: Craftsmanship, ensured by the work of passionate master artisans; abundant and generous Creativity; and Ethics. The Scheufele family, which has been guiding the Maison from generation to generation, is firmly convinced that contemporary luxury must necessarily be responsible. In 2013, these convictions led Co-Presidents Caroline and Karl-Friedrich Scheufele to commit the Maison to its Journey to Sustainable Luxury. Today, Chopard thus uses 100% ethical gold for the production of its gold watches and jewellery, as well as manufacturing its own Lucent Steel™ – with a recycling rate of at least 80% – for its steel timepieces.

More than 50 professions are mastered at Chopard’s three production sites, where particular attention is paid to in-house training, passing on savoir-faire and perpetuating artistic crafts.

As World Sponsor and Official Timekeeper of the 1000 Miglia – the world’s most beautiful classic car race – since 1988, and Official Partner to the Cannes Film Festival since 1998, Chopard consistently lives up to its stature as an Artisan of Emotions.

About Hagerty (NYSE: HGTY) 

Hagerty is an automotive enthusiast brand committed to saving driving and fueling car culture for future generations. The company is a leading provider of specialty vehicle insurance, expert car valuation data and insights, live and digital car auction services, immersive events and automotive entertainment custom made for the 67 million Americans who self-describe as car enthusiasts. Hagerty also operates in Canada and the U.K. and is home to Hagerty Drivers Club, a community of over 800,000 who can’t get enough of cars. For more information, please visit www.hagerty.com or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.