Phillips Highlights Francis Ford Coppola’s Personal Timepiece Collection in The New York Watch Auction: XIII

Six additional timepieces from Coppola’s collection, including a platinum Chronomètre à Résonance, will also be available.

Phillips, in collaboration with Bacs & Russo, has unveiled a significant highlight for its forthcoming New York Watch Auction: XIII. The sale is headlined by Francis Ford Coppola’s unique F.P. Journe FFC Prototype wristwatch, an extraordinary timepiece conceived from a significant 2012 dialogue between Coppola and esteemed watchmaker François-Paul Journe, wherein Coppola inquired if a human hand had ever been utilized to indicate time.

The FFC Prototype is characterized by its innovative mechanism: a sculpted automaton hand that employs its five fingers to denote all twelve hours. Journe was inspired by Ambroise Paré, the 16th-century physician and innovator in prosthetic design, whose articulating iron hand influenced the watch's futuristic, nearly steampunk look. Notwithstanding the intricacy of the mechanism, the timepiece is driven by Journe’s Octa caliber 1300.3 featuring a remontoir d’égalité, culminating in a movement that is merely 8.1mm in thickness.

Coppola's prototype, inscribed with his name, showcases steel bridges, a revolving white minutes ring, and a black-treated titanium hand, setting it apart from Journe's own version and subsequent production models. In addition to the exclusive FFC Blue produced for Only Watch 2021, these are the sole FFCs constructed by Journe himself, highlighting the uniqueness and importance of the offering. The FFC Prototype, projected to exceed $1 million USD, is remarkably distinctive as the first watch in history to utilize a human hand automaton for hour indication.

Alongside the FFC Prototype, six additional timepieces from Coppola’s personal collection will be showcased at auction. Included is a platinum F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance, presented to Coppola by his wife Eleanor in 2009 — a timepiece that initially linked the filmmaker to Journe and ultimately motivated the FFC project. Additional highlights comprise models from Patek Philippe, Breguet, Blancpain, and IWC, with valuations spanning from $3,000 to $240,000 USD.

The collection embodies Coppola’s profound admiration for mechanical craftsmanship and his overarching dedication to safeguarding legacies, whether in film, viticulture, or watchmaking. Subsequent to a global tour including London, Geneva, and Hong Kong, the FFC Prototype and Coppola’s collection will be presented at The New York Watch Auction: XIII on December 6 – 7, 2025.