‘Godfather’ director selling $1M watch, says he’s ‘broke’ after new film flopped

A legendary filmmaker is, in his own words, broke.

Francis Ford Coppola is known for some of the most iconic films of all-time including “The Godfather” trilogy and “Apocalypse Now,” but this week the 86-year-old director from Detroit told The New York Times he’s under some financial stress.

So much so, that he’s auctioning seven wristwatches from his personal collection, including a one-of-one made by a prestigious Swiss watch company F.P. Journe valued at more than $1 million.

The company, renowned among collectors and horology enthusiasts, is known for innovative engineering, in-house craftsmanship, and distinctive aesthetic

“I need to get some money to keep the ship afloat,” Coppola told the Times.

Manufactured in 1999 specifically for the Academy Award winner, the watch is one of only six prototype timepieces assembled by François-Paul himself that have been sold.

in 2021, a prototype of the watch sold for close to $5 million, the Times reported.

Coppola has faced financial struggles in the past, in part because of his habit of financing his passion project films by himself. That was the case with his latest film, “Megalopolis,” which premiered in November 2024.

The film depicts a power struggle in a futuristic city full of rampant oligarchy and features a star-packed cast and cost well over $100 million to make. Much was expected, but it received poor reviews and flopped at the box office, pulling in just $14.4 million.

Now, its director, who financed much of the film personally, is openly admitting he needs money.

“I don’t have any money because I invested all the money, that I borrowed, to make ‘Megalopolis,’” he told the “Tetragrammaton” podcast in March. “It’s basically gone.”