Pocket watch

Pocket watch
Object information
Usage	Tell time
Owners	Dedalus Diggle Rubeus Hagrid Albus Dumbledore Sirius Black Corban Yaxley Bartemius Crouch Jnr Ronald Weasley Fabian Prewett Harry Potter

"It's traditional to give a wizard a watch when he comes of age."

— Molly Weasley to Harry Potter

A pocket watch is a small watch on a chain, intended to be carried in the pocket of a jacket or waistcoat.

History

Many wizards and witches in the wizarding world often wore pocket watches. In the wizarding world, one was traditionally given a watch when they come of age at seventeen.

There may have been a Transfiguration spell capable of turning a human into a pocket watch. However, given the context where this was mentioned, it may have simply been a sarcastic comment.

Known pocket watches

Known wizards and witches known to own, or may own, pocket watches include:

• Sirius Black, who wore a silver one on a double-albert as well. He wore this on a waistcoat, after he moved into 12 Grimmauld Place. It is unknown if it was with his other possessions there, but as he probably was given it when he came of age, it is likely.
• Barty Crouch Jnr, who wore a gold pocket watch on a single-albert, prior to his sentence in Azkaban.
• Dedalus Diggle, who owned a fairly large one that shouted at him to "Hurry up" when he was late.
• Albus Dumbledore, whose had twelve hands, with twelve planets instead of numbers.
• Mundungus Fletcher, who wore a silver one on a waistcoat.
• Rubeus Hagrid, whose small gold one was greatly dwarfed in his trash-bin-lid-sized hand.
• Harry Potter, was given Fabian Prewett's watch on his 17th birthday.
• Fabian Prewett, who wore one that was dented on the back over the years. It was given to Harry Potter.
• Horace Slughorn, who wore a silver watch on a double-albert chain.
• Ronald Weasley, who wore something like Harry's.
• Yaxley, who wore a golden pocketwatch.
• Milo, who owned an heirloom pocket watch which was later given to his daughter after his death.
• One wizarding idiom mentions Merlin's watch, which may or may not be fictional.

Behind the scenes

• It is not specified what type of watch Harry Potter was given when he turned of age. However, due to the fact that it was dented on the back, it was probably indeed a pocket watch, as the back of a wristwatch is against the wrist when in use. In this case, Ron Weasley also has a pocket watch, as Harry's was "like what Ron got."
• This may be another example of objects commonly used by Wizardkind not being as modern as objects used by muggles (as with quills, oil lamps, candles, ect.). Though still being made, pocket watches are not been as widely used as in the pre-WWII era. It may also be reflective of the longer lifespan of wizards. Dumbledore, for instance, would have turned 17 when pocket watches were still in style.
• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Cedric Diggory is shown wearing a brown wristwatch in some scenes. He wears it on his left arm during the Second Task of the Triwizard Tournament, and on his right arm when he and Harry Potter are transported to the Little Hangleton Graveyard mere moments before his murder.
• On J. K. Rowling's official site, Dumbledore's watch has bright blue lightning like crackles, the face glows turquoise blue and emits a flash of white light.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game) (Appears on a Famous Wizard Card)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game) (Appears on a Famous Wizard Card)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game) (Appears in portrait(s))
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game) (Appears in portrait(s))
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
• Harry Potter Trading Card Game
• J. K. Rowling's official site
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
• Hogwarts Legacy