Renowned filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, famous for directing The Godfather, is parting with his cherished watch collection after pouring over $100 million into his financially unsuccessful film, Megalopolis.

The 86-year-old director reportedly invested $120 million of his personal wealth into the 2024 release, which managed to earn only $14.3 million at the global box office. In response, Coppola has decided to sell seven watches from his collection.

These timepieces are being offered for sale through the auction house Phillips, known for handling luxury items.

Among the watches is a unique piece valued at $1 million, co-designed by Coppola and the esteemed watchmaker François-Paul Journe.

This exceptional piece, the FP Journe FFC Prototype, is distinguished by its black titanium hand that mimics a human hand. The fingers and thumb move to display the hours.

François-Paul Journe expressed in a statement, “Speaking with Francis in 2012 and hearing his vision for using a human hand to tell time inspired me to create a watch beyond my imagination.”

Francis Ford Coppola is selling off his beloved watches after losing millions on flop movie Megalopolis. Seen in 2024

Coppola spent many years trying to make Megalopolis and financed the movie himself, rather than go through the studio system – but it flopped at the box office and was savaged by critics 

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.

The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Coppola for comment and has yet to hear back. 

The director, worth an estimated $400million, 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 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.’

It also featured the talents of an ensemble cast that includes the likes of Shia LeBouf, Giancarlo Esposito, Aubrey Plaza and Laurence Fishburne. 

The movie was released on September 27, 2024 through Lionsgate Films but swiftly bombed at the box office.

The epic was mired in production issues from the onset and saw Coppola denying allegations of unprofessional behavior on set.

In addition to directing the feature, Coppola wrote its script and served as one of the project’s producers. 

Coppola also earned the 2025 Worst Director Razzie for the film – and had a scathing acceptance speech 

The epic was mired in production issues from the onset and saw Coppola denying allegations of unprofessional behavior on set – pictured stars Driver and Nathalie Emmanuel  

The film was slammed as ‘bloated’, ‘boring’ and dubbed a ‘head-wrecking abomination’ by critics. 

Last year, Coppola was embroiled in scandal when it was claimed he kissed extras on the filmset and made some feel uncomfortable.

Two brief videos surfaced days later, which seemed to show the director kissing women during a night club scene in the movie.

He finally addressed the numerous allegations in a wide-ranging interview with Rolling Stone, where he claimed the original report from The Guardian was, ‘totally untrue.’

‘If you read that piece, you’ll realize that whoever the sources were — and I honestly don’t know who the sources were — it’s the same people who provided quotes for that Hollywood Reporter piece that said all these people were fired or resigned, and that there was a mass exodus, all of that,’ Coppola said. 

Last year, Coppola was embroiled in scandal when it was claimed he kissed extras on the film’s set and made some feel uncomfortable – pictured 2024 

Two brief videos surfaced days later, which seemed to show the director kissing women – including Rayna Menz (above) during a nightclub scene in the film, which opens in theaters September 27

‘And the truth of the matter is, they were looking for some sort of dirt. The young women I kissed on the cheek, in regards to the New Year’s scene, they were young women I knew,’ he insisted.

The director added, ‘It’s all so ridiculous. Look at the timing of that article. It’s right before we’re about to premiere the film at Cannes. They’re just trying to damage the picture.’

When asked why someone would try to ‘damage the picture,’ Coppola explained it’s because he doesn’t ‘follow rules’ set forth in Hollywood.

‘There’s a prevailing tendency in Hollywood to say, if you follow our rules, you’ll have a better chance of a success,’ he began.

‘”Well, what about Francis? He doesn’t follow your rules.” “Well, look, what’s going to happen to him, he’s going to have a failure,”‘ he said of those naysayers.

‘I’m trying to do something different here. Film is change. I mean, the movies that your grandchildren are going to make are going to be nothing like what we see now,’ he said.

The initial report included a source who claimed that after he kissed several women during the scene, Coppola announced into a microphone, ‘Sorry, if I come up to you and kiss you. Just know it’s solely for my pleasure.’ 

Since Coppola financed the entire production himself, there was no HR department or studio involvement whatsoever.

There were intimacy coordinators on the film – Samantha McDonald and Ashley Anderson – though both were not on set during the nightclub scene.

McDonald explained to Variety, ‘I can’t really speak to the reason why they chose to bring us in when they did and not when they didn’t.’

Coppola also earned the 2025 Worst Director Razzie for the film.

The five time Oscar winner accepted the dubious honor, which celebrates the worst in cinematic releases.

Coppola wrote on Instagram: ‘I am thrilled to accept the Razzie award in so many important categories for @megalopolisfilm, and for the distinctive honor of being nominated as the worst director, worst screenplay, and worst picture at a time when so few have the courage to go against the prevailing trends of contemporary moviemaking!

‘In this wreck of a world today, where ART is given scores as if it were professional wrestling, I chose to NOT follow the gutless rules laid down by an industry so terrified of risk that despite the enormous pool of young talent at its disposal, may not create pictures that will be relevant and alive 50 years from now.

‘What an honor to stand alongside a great and courageous filmmaker like Jacques Tati who impoverished himself completely to make one of cinema’s most beloved failures, PLAYTIME!

‘My sincere thanks to all my brilliant colleagues who joined me to make our work of art, MEGALOPOLIS, and let us remind ourselves us that box-office is only about money, and like war, stupidity and politics has no true place in our future.’

In August this year, the legendary American director shared a health update after being hospitalized in Italy.

The filmmaker was admitted to Policlinico Tor Vergata, a public hospital in Rome, following a screening of Megalopolis in Calabria.

Coppola later took to Instagram to reassure fans, explaining that the hospital visit was for a scheduled procedure with Dr. Andrea Natale, a renowned heart specialist who has treated him for over three decades.

He posted a smiling photo of himself looking relaxed, along with a message that read: ‘I am well.’

‘Da Dada (what my kids call me) is fine, taking an opportunity while in Rome to do the update of my 30-year-old AFib procedure with its inventor, a great Italian doctor – Dr. Andrea Natale! I am well!,’ he wrote.

Though not officially confirmed, reports pointed to a possible heart procedure tied to a mild cardiac arrhythmia — a detail that lines up with Coppola’s mention of updating his long-standing AFib treatment.