Everyone wants to know which luxury watch brand will be “the next big thing” — and the one name that should be on everyone’s radar in 2026 is F.P. Journe. Consistently ranked among the world’s top luxury watch manufacturers, F.P. Journe has steadily been gaining traction within the high-end collecting world, and numerous different pieces from the brand have already achieved multi-million-dollar prices at auction. However, recent events have brought F.P. Journe into the spotlight more than ever before, and the independent Swiss brand is perfectly positioned to be the next must-have target for collectors.
The Rising Popularity of F.P. Journe Watches
Widely considered to be one of the world’s premier luxury watch manufacturers, F.P. Journe is the eponymous brand of the famous watchmaker François-Paul Journe, and the independent Swiss company has exclusively catered to the high-horology market since it first opened its doors in 1999. Priced significantly above mainstream luxury brands like Cartier and Rolex, F.P. Journe has an annual production of just 900 to 1,000 watches per year, and many of its most desirable models have become near-impossible to attain at a retail level, simply due to the fact that public demand significantly exceeds the brand’s relatively small output.
F.P. Journe watches have experienced a dramatic rise in popularity over the course of the last decade, and consistent retail scarcity has resulted in available examples commanding strong premiums on the secondary market. While the formal entry-point to F.P. Journe’s catalog currently sits around $30k, the majority of the brand’s watches trade hands for six-figure values on the secondary market, and it is not uncommon for exceptionally rare models to break the million-dollar mark when sold at auctions. Despite the fact that F.P. Journe has rapidly been garnering prominence among serious collectors and enthusiasts, the brand still largely exists within the high-end independent space; however, that may be starting to change, thanks to the recent financial troubles of famous Hollywood filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola.
The Francis Ford Coppola Effect
Back in 2012, François-Paul Journe was having dinner at Francis Ford Coppola’s house in Napa Valley when the filmmaker asked him if any watch brand had ever tried to represent the time on a human hand, using the five fingers to signify the hours. Inspired by the question, Journe worked to realize this concept, and after nine years of development, F.P. Journe presented the FFC Blue as its piece-unique offering for the 2021 edition of the Only Watch charity auction. The “FFC” name serves as a nod to the renowned filmmaker who inspired it, and with F.P. Journe timepieces already fiercely pursued by collectors, the one-of-a-kind FFC Blue realized a price of CHF 4.5 million (approximately $4.9 million USD at the time).
Two years later in 2023, F.P. Journe released the FFC as a standard-production model, but rather than having a tantalum case with a vibrant blue/orange colorway like the original piece-unique version, the FFC watches offered to the public are crafted from either platinum or rose gold with a predominantly black color profile. With that in mind, François-Paul Journe created two prototype FFC watches with platinum cases (one for himself and one for Francis Ford Coppola), and these differed from the commercially available models in several key areas. Rather than featuring an anthracite-finished hand paired with a black rotating minute ring, the duo of FFC prototypes are fitted with black-finished hands, while their minute rings appear in a contrasting shade of white, and these two watches (along with the original FFC Blue) are the only examples to have ever been assembled by François-Paul Journe himself.
Neither of the two FFC prototypes was ever supposed to be offered to the public, but things took an unexpected twist in 2025, when Francis Ford Coppola started experiencing significant financial struggles. Coppola invested more than $100 million of his own money into his 2024 passion project film Megalopolis; however, the movie flopped at the box office, grossing just $14.3 million against a budget of $120 to $136 million, and putting the famous Hollywood director into severe debt. In order to stay afloat, Coppola was forced to sell many of his assets, and this included the platinum FFC prototype watch. The notoriety of Francis Ford Coppola combined with the mega-rare nature of the watch itself created the perfect storm for a record-breaking auction result, and the timepiece sold for a whopping $10.755 million in December 2025, making it the single most expensive watch from any independent brand.
Auction Results and Mainstream Brand Awareness
The record-breaking sale of the F.P Journe FFC Coppola watch caught the attention of the mainstream public in a manner rarely experienced by watch-related stories, and major news outlets like the New York Times and Smithsonian Magazine even covered the results of the auction. Breaking the eight-figure mark is certainly a noteworthy accomplishment for any wristwatch, but the primary reason why this particular story resonated with the general population is simply because this grail-worthy watch previously belonged to Francis Ford Coppola, and it was surrounded by sensationalist stories about the filmmaker’s financial struggles following the epic commercial failure of Megalopolis.
In the relatively short amount of time since the record-breaking sale of the FFC Coppola watch, interest in F.P Journe has spiked, and a significant portion of this increased attention comes from individuals who first heard about the brand when Coppola’s watch sold for over $10 million. A similar situation transpired following the $17.8 million sale of Paul Newman’s very own vintage Rolex Daytona “Paul Newman” in 2017, which also captured the imagination of the general public due to its Hollywood-related backstory and eye-wattering price. During the years immediately following the sale of Paul Newman’s Daytona, interest (and prices) surged for Rolex watches (particularly the Daytona), and now this same trend appears to be occurring with F.P Journe.
In order for a luxury watch brand to truly become the next must-have target for collectors, it needs to be coveted by both enthusiasts and members of the general population. For years, F.P. Journe has been steadily building a dedicated following among seasoned collectors, but it simply hasn’t been around long enough to become a true household name like Rolex or Patek Philippe. That said, Francis Ford Coppola’s financial struggles have brought a significant amount of mainstream attention to F.P. Journe, and countless people around the world are now discovering the prestigious Swiss manufacturer, simply because it is the brand behind the ultra-rare watch that a famous Hollywood filmmaker was able to sell for nearly $11 million to help get himself out of debt.
Top 5 F.P. Journe Watches for Collectors in 2026
Nearly all F.P. Journe watches trade hands on the secondary market for values that are significantly higher than their original retail prices, and the recent spike in mainstream interest has only further contributed to their open-market premiums. Given that F.P. Journe’s output totals less than 1,000 watches per year, many of the brand’s most desirable models are only going to become more difficult (and expensive) to acquire as interest in them continues to grow, and below are the top F.P. Journe watches for collectors in 2026.
F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance ref. RQ
For many collectors, it is F.P. Journe’s Résonance watches that are most emblematic of the independent Swiss manufacturer, and the Chronomètre à Résonance ref. RQ is the current-production version of this high-horology model that was released in 2020 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the brand’s first Résonance watch. Featuring a 42mm case crafted from either platinum or rose gold, the F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance RQ is powered by the brand’s manual-wind Caliber 1520 movement, and both versions of the model are available with either a leather strap or a matching five-link bracelet.
However, what makes the F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance truly special is that its movement features two independent gear trains and escapements, which utilize the principles of natural physical resonance to synchronize its two balance wheels without any type of mechanical transmission system. When purchased at a retail level, the Chronomètre à Résonance ref. RQ is already a six-figure watch, and this ultra-desirable model consistently commands strong premiums on the secondary market, with many examples trading hands for values in excess of half a million dollars.
F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain Joaillerie Diamants ref. TVJ
Sitting at the apex of watchmaking and high jewelry is the F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain Joaillerie Diamants ref. TVJ, which is a flagrantly luxurious statement piece that first debuted in 2023 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the brand’s original tourbillon-equipped watch. Crafted from platinum, the 44m case of the Tourbillon Souverain Joaillerie Diamants is set with 93 baguette-cut diamonds, while another 18 diamonds adorn its clasp, and the black dial that sits within its case is actually one of the movement’s solid 18k rose gold bridges, which has been given a blackened finish and decorated with a “Clou de Paris” guilloché motif.
Clad with over 23 carats of diamonds and powered by the manual-wind Caliber 1519 movement, the F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain Joaillerie Diamants is equally celebrated for both its mechanical complexity and decidedly opulent spirit. With that in mind, the model is exclusively available through an application process and priced at nearly a million dollars, which makes the Tourbillon Souverain Joaillerie Diamants ref. TVJ is an exceptionally rare piece, and any available examples are virtually guaranteed to command multi-million-dollar premiums on the secondary market.
F.P. Journe Répétition Souverain Black Label ref. RM
Only available to existing F.P Journe owners, the Black Label collection is an ultra-exclusive lineup of watches with black dials that can only be purchased from the brand’s own network of boutiques. Equipped with a minute repeater complication and powered by the manual-wind Caliber 1408 movement, the F.P Journe Répétition Souverain ref. RM already stands out as a heavy hitter, and the Black Label edition turns things up a notch in terms of rarity with a 40mm stainless steel case and a crisp black guilloché dial.
Most of F.P Journe’s Black Label watches are rendered in platinum, and stainless steel is rarely ever used by the brand for its high-complication pieces. With that in mind, this humble alloy was specifically chosen for the Répétition Souverain due to the way that sound resonates through the metal, and this makes the Black Label version of the Répétition Souverain unique, even within the context of the brand’s other Black Label watches. The F.P Journe Répétition Souverain Black Label ref. RM is already a six-figure piece when purchased at a retail level; however, due to the fact that it is produced in extremely small numbers and only sold to existing F.P Journe owners, secondary market prices for this model have been known to reach over a million dollars.
F.P. Journe Linesport Automatique Réserve ref. ARS2
One of the most frequently overlooked watches in F.P. Journe’s modern catalog also happens to be its single most sporty creation, and the F.P. Journe Linesport Automatique Réserve ref. ARS2 easily ranks among the most visually distinct offerings in the Swiss brand’s entire lineup. While other versions of the Linesport Automatique Réserve are offered in either rose gold or platinum, the reference ARS2 is a decidedly sporty execution that uses grade 5 titanium for both its case and integrated bracelet. To further create a lightweight presence on the wrist, the titanium version of the Linesport Automatique Réserve uses an aluminum alloy for the plates and bridges of its Caliber 1300.3 automatic movement, and this helps reduce the total weight of the model to just 83 grams.
F.P. Journe offers the Linesport Automatique Réserve ref. ARS2 with the option of either a black or yellow dial, and both versions feature stylized Arabic numeral indexes punctuated by bright red accents. Both dials benefit from a definitively sporty aesthetic that is already rather uncharacteristic of F.P. Journe, but the vibrant yellow version represents a significant departure from the timeless and understated color palette that typically graces the brand’s watches. Unlike other F.P. Journe models that trade hands for values that are multiples times higher than their original retail prices, the premiums attached to the Linesport Automatique Réserve ref. ARS2 are typically much more reasonable, with many examples currently priced just under $200k on the secondary market.
F.P. Journe Chronomètre Bleu ref. CB
Rather than being exceptionally rare or mechanically complex, the F.P. Journe Chronomètre Bleu ref. CB is a classic fan-favorite that offers a thoroughly contemporary take on a traditional time-only dress watch. Originally introduced in 2009 and powered by the brand’s manual-wind Caliber 1304 movement, the Chronomètre Bleu was initially created to be an entry-level offering within F.P. Journe’s growing catalog. Over the years, this model has continued to claim the hearts of enthusiasts with its 39mm tantalum case and striking blue dial, and it now exists as one of F.P. Journe’s most famous and recognizable watches.
Despite its notoriety and cult-favorite status among collectors, the F.P. Journe Chronomètre Bleu ref. CB is still a time-only watch, and it continues to be positioned as one of the Swiss brand’s most attainable models, with its current retail price coming in at roughly $45k. With that in mind, the Chronomètre Bleu also ranks among the most elusive F.P. Journe watches at a retail level, and since it is virtually impossible for the average person to purchase one from a retailer or boutique, available examples command strong premiums on the secondary market, with present-day prices rapidly approaching $200k.
