For John Ford, the hits just keep on coming.

As our reporter Marc Perrusquia wrote in today's newspaper, federal prosecutors are alleging that Ford received a $40,000 diamond-studded Rolex Masterpiece wristwatch from developer Rusty Hyneman. The prosecutors say Ford once boasted that he got the watch in exchange for using his influence to try to get state pollution fines against Hyneman reduced.

Neither Hyneman nor Ford has been charged in connection with the high-priced jewelry changing hands, but prosecutors apparently hope to use the watch transaction to support their case that Ford had a history of influence-peddling.

If Ford gets convicted and faces a tougher sentence as a result, I guess you could say that watch keeps hard time.