The world has fallen into chaos, my friend. It’s no longer safe out there, not with all those mushroom monsters on the loose. And as much as we used to rely on our fellow humans, now they’re just as much of a threat. In this post-apocalyptic wasteland, survival is all that matters. Who has time to worry about getting their watch fixed or appreciating the finer things in life?
But let me tell you about a character in The Last of Us. His name is Joel, and he’s played by the amazing Pedro Pascal. When he’s not busy disposing of bodies or peddling drugs, he likes to kick back with a drink and get high on his own supply. I mean, who can blame him for needing a little escape from the horrors of his reality?
Anyway, Joel’s watch is broken. He hasn’t had a chance to fix it because, you know, the whole apocalypse thing. But here’s the thing – that watch is actually pretty important in the game. If you’ve played it before, you’ll know what I mean. But seriously, in a world where every day is a fight for survival, who has time for watches or fancy timepieces? It’s all about staying alive and making it through another day. And if you happen to come across a working watch, well, that’s just a bonus.
The Backstory of the Watch
It’s a story that follows Joel, who lives with his brother Tommy and daughter Sarah in Austin, Texas in 2003. The show really picks up on Joel’s 36th birthday, where Sarah plans to fix his broken watch as a gift. The story then takes us on a journey with Sarah as she goes to school and then travels to a watchmaker’s shop to get the watch fixed. She eventually fixes it and gives it to Joel, who probably wouldn’t have gotten it fixed on his own.
But then, things take a turn for the worse. An outbreak of the Cordyceps infection occurs. And while all hell breaks loose, in an attempt to escape, Sarah is fatally shot. While trying to save his child, the watch breaks. Joel’s watch is broken, the watch face is smashed. This has some serious implications for Joel’s character, played masterfully by Pedro Pascal. It ties into both the past and future of The Last of Us.
What Joel’s Watch in the Last of Us Actually Looks Like
When it comes to spotting watches in movies and TV shows, things can get pretty tricky. Especially if you’re a watch enthusiast who’s obsessed with all things horological. But fear not, my fellow timepiece lovers! Today we’re going to dive into the watch featured in The Last of Us TV show and explore the clues we can gather from it.
First things first, let’s talk about what we can actually see from the watch. Based on often dark screen captures, we can make out that the watch has a black dial, relatively thin sword hands, and a seconds subdial located at 6 o’clock. The dial features large Arabic numerals for 3, 9, and 12, with smaller numerals for the rest, and pips (dots) for each index. So far, so good, right? Well, not quite.
While these elements might help narrow down the search, there are a few confounding factors that make things a bit more challenging. For starters, the watch is broken in the show, with a shattered crystal partially obscuring the dial. To make matters worse, there’s no brand name visible anywhere on the watch. So, we can’t rely on that to help us identify it.
To complicate things further, there are some discrepancies between the watch featured in the original video game and the one in the HBO show. For example, in the video game, the watch has a fluted bezel, but not in the show. What gives?
Some people have speculated that the watch would have to be from around the year 2003, given that’s when the story begins. But let’s be real, producers aren’t always that careful with these things. The original game came out in 2013, and the show premiered in 2023, so it’s entirely possible that the watch or the inspiration for it is more contemporary.
And let’s not forget about the strap. It’s a NATO strap, which is cool and all, but since straps are easily interchangeable, it doesn’t really give us anything definitive to work with.
So, where does all of this leave us? Well, we’re not quite sure yet. But one thing’s for sure, the watch featured in The Last of Us is a mystery worth solving. And with a little bit of perseverance and a lot of attention to detail, we’ll get there eventually.
So What Watch Could It Be?
Have you ever found yourself obsessing over a TV show or video game and wanting to get your hands on the same cool stuff the characters have? Well, you’re not alone. Fans of HBO’s hit show “The Last of Us” and its popular video game franchise have been trying to identify the watch worn by the show’s main character, Joel. But let me tell you, it’s not as easy as it seems.
Despite its significance as part of the show’s second most-watched TV debut since 2010 and the video game franchise’s impressive 37 million sales, identifying Joel’s watch has been a real head-scratcher for fans. The clues aren’t exactly clear-cut in the show, and what we do know is that the watch should have been made around 2003, before the infamous cordyceps brain infection took over.
The markings on the watch’s dial and NATO strap suggest that it could be a pilot or military watch, which fits perfectly with Joel’s tough-guy character and his brother Tommy’s 4×4 adorned with an Operation Desert Storm bumper sticker. But even with its distinctive features, like the small seconds dial, sword hands, and lack of a logo, finding the exact model is still a bit of a mystery.
Some internet sleuths have speculated that it looks a lot like a Lum-Tec Super Combat B2, but the show’s costume director Cynthia Summers revealed that the watch is actually custom-built by the show’s props department. This means that it’s not an existing model or even a modified version of one. However, it’s still possible that it was inspired by a watch that existed around the time of the video game’s production, such as the Lum-Tec.
Unfortunately, the Lum-Tec Super Combat B2 is no longer in production and can be difficult to find online. But with all the attention it’s been getting, it wouldn’t be surprising if the brand brought the model back in the future, perhaps even with a fluted bezel like in the video game.
If you’re a die-hard fan (or just looking to dress up as Joel for Halloween), you can even find Etsy listings for watches featuring a crystal broken in the same pattern as Joel’s. So, while the exact watch model may remain a mystery, there are still ways to capture a bit of Joel’s style. Happy hunting!
Why Joel’s Watch Is Still Broken In 2023
Joel’s watch is still broken in 2023, and it speaks volumes about how he’s been coping with the events of 2003. You see, that watch is more than just a timepiece – it’s a symbol of Joel’s connection to Sarah, and how much he cherished her. When she got it fixed for him, it became a precious memento of their bond. But now, with the watch still in disrepair all these years later, it represents something more profound.
It’s a metaphor for Joel’s brokenness over Sarah’s death, even after two decades have passed. Every time he looks at that broken watch, he’s reminded of her and the trauma he’s experienced. And yet, he still wears it. Perhaps it’s a way for him to hold onto her memory, or maybe it’s a reminder of his own cold, shattered heart.
Fixing the watch would mean facing his past head-on, and that’s a daunting prospect for Joel. It would force him to confront not just his life with Sarah before the outbreak, but also her tragic demise. And so, he continues to wear the broken watch, a visible symbol of his pain and loss.
In conclusion, Joel’s watch may seem like a small thing, but it speaks volumes about the emotional toll of trauma and loss. We all carry our own broken watches, in one form or another. But it’s how we deal with them that defines us.
