07.12.2025 20:25
The unique designer watch of Francis Ford Coppola, the director of iconic films that have left a mark on cinema history such as Apocalypse Now, The Conversation, and The Godfather trilogy, was sold at auction at a record speed. The watch, which the famous director contributed to the design of, was sold for $10.8 million in just 11 minutes. The watch had been valued at $1 million.
Francis Ford Coppola's long-hidden and personally designed special edition watch was sold at auction for a record price in a record time.
The F.P. Journe FFC Prototype, belonging to the legendary director of the cinema world, attracted great interest at the auction held in New York.
The watch, which Coppola contributed to the design of and was valued at approximately 1 million dollars before the sale, found a buyer for 10.8 million dollars after an auction that lasted only 11 minutes in New York. It was reported that the identity of the buyer, who made the bid over the phone, wished to remain anonymous.
ONE OF THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS PAID FOR A WATCH
This sale was recorded as the second highest amount paid for a watch at an auction in the U.S. The first place is held by the sale of the Rolex Daytona, specially designed for Paul Newman, which sold for 17.8 million dollars in 2017. The worldwide record belongs to the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime model, which was sold for 31.2 million dollars in Geneva in 2019.
COPPOLA IS SELLING VALUABLE ASSETS DUE TO MEGALOPOLIS LOSSES
The decision to put this legendary watch up for sale is backed by the significant financial loss Coppola has experienced recently. The director spent 120 million dollars out of his own pocket on his passion project Megalopolis, but the film only grossed 14.4 million dollars worldwide, resulting in a major disappointment.
It was revealed that Coppola had to sell his private island in Belize in October, and he recently confirmed his financial situation with striking words in a podcast he participated in:
"I have no money because I spent it all on the debts I took for Megalopolis."
The film, which was shown for the first time at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, brings together names like Adam Driver, Shia LaBeouf, Aubrey Plaza, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Jon Voight. Inspired by H.G. Wells' work Things to Come, the production tells the story of an architect who wants to transform post-apocalyptic New York into a utopia.