Timex watch

The Timex watch with small silver numbers and an imitation-leather band was a gift from Ben Hanscom's mother, Arlene, on the last day of school in June 1958. She gave it to him as a practical tool to enforce a strict curfew she had imposed, demanding he be home by six o'clock each evening during a summer when a series of child murders terrorized Derry. The watch was a tangible expression of her love and her desperate fear for her son's safety, a fear that had driven her to warn him against the killer she called "the bastard who is killing children around here."

Identity and Introduction

The watch was a simple, functional object, but for Ben it was a source of immense pride and joy. When his mother handed him the small plastic box containing it, his reaction was one of pure, unaffected admiration. "Wow!" he exclaimed, his appreciation totally unaffected. He gave her an enthusiastic hug and a loud kiss on the cheek, calling it "the coolest!" The watch was more than a timepiece; it was a symbol of his mother's care and a tangible connection to her, a rare moment of uncomplicated affection between them. He was so thrilled by the unexpected gift that he would have agreed with her on any subject, even the absurd notion of John Wayne playing Adolf Hitler in a musical comedy.

Role in the Plot and Ben's Secret

The watch was central to the rules Arlene Hanscom laid out for her son. She told him to "put it on, keep it on, wear it, wind it, mind it, don't lose it." She made it clear that if he was not home by suppertime, she would call the police and report him missing. This threat was a direct response to the murders of children like Betty Ripsom, Cheryl Lamonica, Matthew Clements, and Veronica Grogan. The watch was meant to be a leash, keeping Ben safe by keeping him on a tight schedule.

However, the watch also became a silent witness to Ben's secret life. On the very day he received it, he was attacked by Henry Bowers, Victor Criss, and Belch Huggins, who carved the letter "H" into his stomach. After escaping by falling into the Barrens, he was terrified that his mother would see his ruined clothes and the wound. He was also afraid that if he told her about the terrifying encounter with a mummy-like clown on the frozen Canal the previous January, she would confine him to the house for the entire summer. The watch, a gift meant to ensure his safety, was thus tied to the very dangers he was hiding from her. He chose to keep the story of the mummy to himself, a decision driven by a powerful intuition that it was kinder to remain quiet, and by a fear of losing his freedom.

Thematic Significance

The Timex watch embodies the tension between parental protection and a child's burgeoning independence. It is a tool of love and fear, but also a symbol of the secrets that children keep from their parents. For Ben, the watch was a constant reminder of his mother's worry, but it also marked the beginning of a summer in which he would forge his own path, make his own friends, and face horrors his mother could never imagine. The watch, meant to keep him tethered to home, instead accompanied him on his journey into the Barrens and into the heart of Derry's darkness.