The Watch

Image by Phillips

Some watches tell time. This one makes a point—literally. 

The idea began, as many great ones do, over wine. During a dinner at his Napa estate, Francis Ford Coppola posed a mischievous challenge to independent watchmaking legend François-Paul Journe: could a watch tell time using an actual hand? Not a symbolic hand, not a stylized pointer—but a miniature, articulated mechanical hand with fingers that indicate the hour. Journe, known for both his technical rigor and quiet sense of humor, took the question seriously. 

The result was the F.P. Journe FFC prototype, a true one-of-one. On the dial, a tiny sculptural hand points to the hour, while the minutes are displayed on a rotating peripheral ring—an elegant solution that keeps the theatrics in check. The movement, developed specifically for this piece, took years to perfect; the mechanics required to make the hand move smoothly, precisely, and reliably pushed even Journe’s formidable expertise. It is horology at its most playful, but also its most exacting. 

When Coppola later consigned the watch to Phillips, collectors understood they weren’t bidding on a novelty—they were bidding on a story. The watch sold for $10.75 million, becoming the most expensive F.P. Journe ever auctioned, and cementing its place as one of modern watchmaking’s great curiosities. A reminder that the most compelling luxury objects don’t just measure time—they capture imagination, intention, and the occasional brilliant detour from the rules.