The Watch

The watch in the New series.

The watch stopping time in the new series.

Nicolette in the new series.

Nicolette in frozen time.

American version of the watch in Time's Up.

Bernard's Pocket Watch is more than just an ordinary clock. It has the power to stop time. in the first series all it needs is a simple click and everyone and everything except the user is frozen instantly but in the new series yellow waves come off it surrounding the earth and freezing it. Also, unlike the original series when time stops it gives each character a blurred effect. The sound has also changed. In the original series it was a simple click followed by a magical tingling sound and in the new series it gives a sort of ding sound. Also, in the new series the user can choose to leave someone else unfrozen when they stop time.

The watch has been described as being made of gold and being rather heavy. The back door reveals light inside which is essential to its working.

The watch can only be used in the country in which it is issued due to time differences although it does not appear to have any issues with changing to and from British Summer Time (Britain's Daylight Saving Time). The American version of the watch seen in Time's Up is digital, possibly to work across the multiple time zones of the United States.

Concept

The earliest known concept, in popular culture, of a watch that can stop time is in the 1963 episode A Kind of a Stopwatch of the American science fiction TV series The Twilight Zone. Another notable parody of the concept is the segment Stop the World, I Want to Goof Off in the 2003 episode Treehouse of Horror XIV of The Simpsons.

Management

In the original series the watch is managed by a magic postman who gives the watches to those who wish, upon a magic object, for more time. He is also in charge of servicing and repairs for the watch as well as enforcing the rules for keeping it. The postman also issues temporary replacements if the watch needs to be collected for repairs though these are often obsolete models with flaws making Bernard glad to have the watch back. According to the postman, in Story Time, there is an alarm system used if the watch breaks in frozen time though this does not help the user if they lose the watch. The user is not allowed to use the watch to commit crimes or hurt anyone. Doing this makes the watch stop working unless the owner rights this wrong before time runs out. Only the Postman is allowed to turn the watch backwards as anyone else doing so would go back in time and get stuck in a time loop, repeating whatever they did then, until the Postman helps them out of it. When the user crosses time zones the Postman collects the watch and his colleague gives the user a watch for the time zone being entered. The watch needs servicing every 15,000 hours to prevent problems such as time sticking or slipping although it appears to need servicing earlier if the holder lets other people use it.

In the new series, if the watch breaks in frozen time or gets wet it automatically restarts time but it can be repaired by an ordinary jewellers unlike in the original series in which it needs to be repaired by the Postman's firm in order to stop and restart time again.

In the novelization the watch burns the iron molecules in the user's body leaving them vulnerable to anaemia unless they build up their iron intake. The watch stops working upon the death of its rightful owner and only starts again if the new owner winds it with the magic key on the watch's chain.

Temporary replacements

These are issued by the Postman if the user still needs to stop time when the usual watch needs to be taken for servicing or repairs.

The mantlepiece clock

This clock has a pendulum instead of a button. The user stops time by holding the pendulum to stop it from swinging. To restart time, the user flicks the pendulum to move it. The clock has the disadvantage of not being portable and it chimes on the hour even if the user keeps it in their bedroom.

The calculator watch

This watch was introduced in the 1980s. It is designed to allow users to go back in time but it is unreliable and was discontinued when some users went back to before they were born.

The alarm clock

This clock has a switch on the back to stop and restart time. It is designed to ring when the user is about to have an accident although the user cannot prevent it. It was apparently discontinued because its ringing made users feel nervous.

What the watch affects

Bernard emptying a bucket of water over his music teacher in frozen time in Time Tables.

• Running water (the user needs a straw to drink in frozen time)
• Electricity, although Bernard appears to be able to alter and send emails as well as delete digital photographs in frozen time in the new series
• Anything that moves (Other than the watch holder)
• Gravity doesn't affect objects so can be used to an advantage to easily move things

What the watch does not affect

• Whoever presses the button to freeze time
• The Postman who also does not get stuck in time loops when the user turns the watch backwards
• Ghosts