The Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola is selling off his beloved watches after losing millions on flop movie Megalopolis.
The 86-year-old director – who invested $120 million in the 2024 blockbuster, which grossed just $14.3 million worldwide – has put seven timepieces from his personal collection up for sale.
They are being sold through auction house Phillips.
One of the watches is a $1 million one-of-a-kind piece the filmmaker designed himself alongside renowned watchmaker François-Paul Journe.
The F.P. Journe FFC Prototype features a black titanium human-like hand, of which the fingers and thumb extend or retract to indicate different hours.
Francois-Paul said in a statement: ‘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 Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola is selling off his beloved watches after losing millions on flop movie Megalopolis. Seen in 2024
One of the watches is $1 million and from François-Paul Journe
‘The challenge was formidable – exactly the type of watchmaking project I adore,’ he added.
‘After years of collaborating directly with Francis in the development process, it was a great pleasure to deliver this FFC prototype to him in 2021.
‘I’m proud to fully support the sale of this watch through Phillips to fund the creation of his artistic masterpieces in filmmaking.’
The watchmaker reportedly made a small number of bespoke timepieces based on the design, selling to private clients for around $1 million each.
His watches will be presented for sale in New York City on December 6 and 7.
Coppola spent many years trying to make Megalopolis and financed the movie himself, rather than go through the studio system, but previously insisted he does not consider it to be any more of a ‘passion project’ than his other films.
He said: ‘I think all my films are passion projects. Even when you’re doing a film for money, when you get down into the work, you’re passionate about it because cinema is something you can’t do without loving.
‘I’ve seen great directors like Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg do something on their cut and then dance around like kids with enthusiasm.
Coppola spent many years trying to make Megalopolis and financed the movie himself, rather than go through the studio system, but previously insisted he does not consider it to be any more of a ‘passion project’ than his other films
Coppola is best known for directing the classic movie The Godfather in 1972 which starred Diane Keaton and Al Pacino
‘This idea of ‘passion project’ is another one of these coined phrases. All making movies is passionate. It cannot not be. It’s too exciting.’
During the movie’s 2024 Cannes Film Festival premiere, the director insisted he had ‘never cared about money’ and his three children ‘don’t need a fortune’ from him.
The film starred Adam Driver and the synopsis reads: ‘A conflict between Cesar, a genius artist who seeks to leap into a utopian, idealistic future, and his opposition, Mayor Franklyn Cicero, who remains committed to a regressive status quo, perpetuating greed, special interests, and partisan warfare.’
The movie was released on September 27, 2024 through Lionsgate Films.