Is it as good as the original? You decide.
Like its predecessor, “The Godfather II” watch is a musical timepiece and, according to Jacob & Co., is the only double melody musical timepiece.
It plays two songs from the score of “The Godfather” trilogy: “The Godfather’s Waltz” and “The Godfather Love Theme.”
For its second watch based on the iconic mob movie franchise, Jacob & Co. chose a curved 42 x 44 mm rectangular case in 18-karat rose gold that is Art Deco inspired and a black lacquered dial that nods to the films’ noir aesthetic.
“I wanted ‘The Godfather II’ timepiece to offer a different take on the musical timepiece concept,” said Jacob Arabo, founder and chairman of Jacob & Co.
“We designed a refined, 1930s-inspired case and spent three years developing a movement that could play two melodies while remaining wearable.”
The watch features a streamlined movement incorporating a flying tourbillon covered by smoked sapphire glass.
It also has enhanced sound, with an integrated music box at the heart of the timepiece.
Each melody plays for 15 to 20 seconds and can be repeated up to 10 times on a single wind.
Both songs are programed on a single music-box barrel to keep the case compact (17 mm in height) while still housing a one-minute flying tourbillion, Jacob & Co. said.
“The Godfather II” watch’s two songs are played via a music box system built around an 18-tooth comb and pin-studded brass cylinder. Each tooth on the comb is a different length, producing a different note to the rhythm plucked by the pins on the cylinder.
“The Godfather” is Arabo’s favorite movie.
The watchmaker said it chose these two songs, composed by Nino Rota for director Francis Ford Coppola, because they are central to “The Godfather II” film’s identity. “The Godfather Love Theme” serves as the leitmotif of the franchise and “The Godfather’s Waltz” is first heard during the wedding scene.
“The Godfather Part II is one of those rare sequels [that is] as strong as the original,” Arabo said.
“We’ve put so much thought and creativity into this second opus that we believe it’s a worthy sequel.”
The watch is powered by the watchmaker’s new JCAM62 caliber movement and features two power reserve indicators.
The main movement offers a 72-hour reserve, and the second indicator tracks the energy available for the music box.
The watch’s dial showcases a portrait of Marlo Brando as Don Corleone alongside a three-dimensional applique of the franchise’s logo with its signature puppet strings motif.
The crown features spiral grooves reminiscent of a gun barrel while Corleone’s rose motif is engraved along the case.
The caseback features a piano-shaped sapphire crystal opening that reveals the music-box comb, which plays the two songs. It is covered by a plate engraved with the actual score from “The Godfather Love Theme.”
The caseback includes engraved “bullet holes,” a piano-shaped sapphire crystal opening revealing the music-box comb, and a plate engraved with the actual score of “The Godfather Love Theme.”
Before this debut, Jacob & Co. had released a “Opera Godfather” collection that was inspired by the deep, personal meaning the films hold for Arabo.
“When I came to the U.S. in 1979, I was 14 and didn’t speak the language,” he said. “It took me two years to afford a movie ticket. ‘The Godfather’ was the first film I saw in a theater.”
Arabo noted that the film’s opening line—“I believe in America”—resonated with him as a young immigrant and shaped the “emotional core” of Jacob & Co.’s “The Godfather” offerings.
Each of the watchmaker’s timepieces tell a dual story, it said: that of the Corleone family and Arabo’s own journey.
“The Godfather II” watch is limited to 74 pieces—a nod to the movie’s 1974 release—and was created in partnership with Paramount Pictures licensing.
It retails for $440,000 and is available on the Jacob & Co. website.