Francis Ford Coppola selling custom $1 M watch after Megalopolis’ failure: Here are 5 things to know about the watch

Oscar-winning filmmaker, Francis Ford Coppola, is all set to offer his most prized possession for his watches. The Godfather director is auctioning off not one but seven timepieces from his collection, including his custom-made F.P. Journe FFC Prototype, which had made headlines across the world. The watch is expected to fetch more than $1 million, according to New York-based auction house Phillips, reported the LA Times.

Francis Ford Coppola's watch auction after failure of Megalopolis

The sale is said to take place on December 6 and 7.

If reports are true, the auction could help Coppola to offset losses from his film, Megalopolis. The film, which was self-financed by the filmmaker, reportedly cost over $120 million to make but earned only $14.3 million globally.

The film was his first release since 2011’s Twixt. Starring Adam Driver, it premiered at Cannes and reportedly received largely negative reviews, with The Times’ report describing it as a “wildly ambitious, overstuffed city epic.”

At Cannes, the 86-year-old director opened up about investing his own money into the movie. He said that he “never cared about money” and that his children “don’t need a fortune.”

Francis Ford Coppola's watch collection

Meanwhile, his watches that are up for auction also include Patek Philippe, Blancpain, and IWC. However, the F.P. Journe FFC Prototype is the showstopper.

Five things to know about F.P. Journe FFC Prototype

1. F.P. Journe FFC Prototype is a black titanium masterpiece featuring a human-like hand that displays the hours through finger movements, resembling a steampunk gauntlet.
2. The watch is encased in a 42 mm Platinum case with an overall height of 10.7 mm. Each FFC watch is engraved with the customer’s name, in this case, the filmmaker.
3. It is the only model of the brand that was not originally conceived by Journe. The history of the extraordinary watch dates back to 2012. It was born out of a conversation between Coppola and master watchmaker François-Paul Journe at Coppola’s Inglenook Winery in Napa Valley. It is said that the filmmaker had asked if a human hand had ever been used to mark time, which led Journe on a years-long quest inspired by Ambroise Paré, a 16th-century French prosthetics pioneer. Speaking with Francis in 2012 and hearing his idea on the use of a human hand to indicate time inspired me to create a watch I never could have imagined myself. The challenge was formidable — exactly the type of watchmaking project I adore,” said Journe about it, as quoted by the LA Times.
4. He created six prototypes, finalising the one for Coppola in 2021.
5. It is reported that the watch was personally assembled by Journe.

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“I’m proud to fully support the sale of this watch through Phillips to fund the creation of his artistic masterpieces in filmmaking,” Journe said about the auction in the report.

Other than the historic watch, the auction will also include a sentimental piece — the F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance in platinum. It was originally gifted by Coppola to his late wife, Eleanor, on Christmas in 2009. The watch is expected to fetch between $120,000-$240,000.