Jacob & Co. does it again. After the enormously popular Opera Godfather series, the brand now launches The Godfather II — a musical watch that actually plays two melodies from the film’s iconic soundtrack. “The Godfather’s Waltz” and “The Godfather Love Theme,” both composed by Nino Rota, are built into one and the same movement.
It sounds simple when you put it that way, but it absolutely is not. Fitting two melodies into a single music-box barrel is a serious technical feat. The new calibre JCAM62 solves it with a lateral shift of less than a millimetre in the melody-selector mechanism at 10 o’clock — a minimal movement that determines which pins activate the 18-tooth steel comb, and therefore which melody plays. Press the pusher at 8 o’clock and the selected melody plays for 15–20 seconds, and you can repeat it up to ten times on a fully wound watch. On top of that sits a flying one-minute tourbillon. So this is no small thing we are talking about.
The aesthetic is as on-the-nose as it is considered
Jacob & Co. really does not hold back, and that is part of the charm. The black lacquer dial carries a detailed portrait of Marlon Brando as Don Corleone, marionette strings in three-dimensional appliqué, and an overall noir aesthetic that mirrors the film’s mood. The crown has spiral grooves inspired by a rifle barrel, the case is engraved with Corleone’s rose motif, and the base plate is adorned with bullet holes plus the actual sheet music of “The Godfather Love Theme” beneath a clef-shaped sapphire crystal.
The new 42 x 44 mm case in rose gold — 17 mm thick — is inspired by Art Deco and noticeably more pared-back than the round Opera Godfather design. Still generously sized, but with an ergonomic curve that makes it more wearable. The movement runs at 21,600 vph (3 Hz) with two barrels — one for timekeeping (72-hour reserve) and one for the music box — each wound in a different direction, with separate power-reserve indicators at 4 and 8 o’clock.
74 pieces — and a price to match the ambition
The edition is limited to 74 examples, a reference to the film’s release in 1974. The price is USD 440,000.
And sure, it is a watch for an extremely narrow audience. But as a technical and artistic object, The Godfather II is fascinating — three years of movement development, a wholly unique complication concept, and a founder’s personal relationship with the film that drives the whole project. Jacob Arabo, who emigrated to the United States in 1979 at 14 years old without speaking the language, has spoken of The Godfather as among the first films he saw at the cinema. That connection shows in how seriously this is treated. For more from the brand this year, see our piece on the all-sapphire Bugatti Tourbillon Sapphire Crystal.
What is unique about the Godfather II?
Its calibre JCAM62 is the first to play two different melodies from a single music-box barrel — “The Godfather’s Waltz” and “The Godfather Love Theme” — selected by a sub-millimetre lateral shift, alongside a flying one-minute tourbillon.
How is the music box powered?
The movement has two barrels — one for timekeeping (72-hour reserve) and a separate one for the music box, good for 8–10 melody plays per full wind — each tracked by its own power-reserve indicator.
How limited is it and what does it cost?
74 pieces — a nod to the film’s 1974 release — in an 18K rose-gold Art Deco case of 42 x 44 mm, priced at USD 440,000.
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