In 'The Last of Us,' Every Watch Has a Hidden Meaning
WatchesWe spoke with the prop masters to get to the bottom of all the timepiece choices in the show.By Laura McCreddie-DoakMay 20, 2025Save this storySaveSave this storySaveAll products featured on GQ are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.The Last of Us internet sleuths can stand down. Close those subreddit tabs and stop pressing HBO MAX's pause button because we've solved the mystery of Joel’s watch. No, it’s not a Lüm-Tec Super Combat B2. In the words of the prop master for season one, Justin Onofriechuk: “Joel’s watch was made to match the game, by a watchmaker (sorry, they would like to be unknown at this point), but it’s based on a Timex watch.”The unnamed timepiece that has played such a significant role in the series, and which was passed down to Ellie in a heartbreaking moment in season two episode three following Joel’s horrendous murder at the hands of Abby, has finally been identified. As Nevin Swain, prop master for season two, explains, “It doesn’t have a brand name [in the series] because it doesn’t have a brand name in the game. [The prop team] received the 3D model from [video game developer] Naughty Dog and made an extreme effort to match every detail from the game exactly, all the way down to the exact same cracks.”Swain and Onofriechuk remain tight-lipped on the exact Timex, but comparing it to what is currently in the brand’s catalogue, the closest contenders could be an Expedition Titanium model or an MK1. Swain's only hint is that it has to be an automatic. “We wanted watches that wouldn’t require batteries,” he says, presumably because you’re not going to find too many watch batteries or tools to replace them with in a post-apocalyptic world overrun with zombies. “So, you may notice a lot of the cast's watches are automatics.”Another noticeable watch, an Easter egg for those unfamiliar with the game, also appears at the beginning of the series. In the moment when Abby sets out her intention to avenge her father’s death by murdering Joel, we see her place her father’s dog tags on his grave. Her watch in shot is strikingly similar to that of Joel's. Swain confirms this was no accident and provides a clue for those who don’t know the game that Abby will get her revenge. “While selecting the watches for the cast, we tried to keep the rest of the watches far away from Joel’s, except for Abby. Here, Craig wanted something similar to Joel’s while still being slightly different. We played around with the colours of the strap until we landed on the khaki one you see in the show.”The other interesting watch choice is the one worn by Tommy, Joel’s brother, seen in the shot when he takes Joel’s timepiece off his dead body as he cleans it in episode three. Swain confirms that Tommy's watch is a Mortima Datomatic, a dive watch from the '70s made by a French brand from the company Cattin & Cie. Swain didn’t say why this specific timepiece was chosen but it does speak to the carefully crafted aesthetic: the Texan plant Indian paintbrush on his boots and his First Nations-crafted belt buckle, which actor Gabriel Luna chose specifically for his character because he felt he was a man who would treasure well made things from before.The final teaser for fans is that we haven’t seen the last of Joel’s watch. “Spoiler warning. We do see it in flashbacks in future episodes in season two,’ Swain says. But will Ellie ever wear it? “Not as of yet,” Swain replies. That ‘yet’ has us hypothesizing. I guess we’ll have to wait until season three of The Last of Us to find out.This story originally appeared on British GQ.
All products featured on GQ are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.
The Last of Us internet sleuths can stand down. Close those subreddit tabs and stop pressing HBO MAX's pause button because we've solved the mystery of Joel’s watch. No, it’s not a Lüm-Tec Super Combat B2. In the words of the prop master for season one, Justin Onofriechuk: “Joel’s watch was made to match the game, by a watchmaker (sorry, they would like to be unknown at this point), but it’s based on a Timex watch.”
The unnamed timepiece that has played such a significant role in the series, and which was passed down to Ellie in a heartbreaking moment in season two episode three following Joel’s horrendous murder at the hands of Abby, has finally been identified. As Nevin Swain, prop master for season two, explains, “It doesn’t have a brand name [in the series] because it doesn’t have a brand name in the game. [The prop team] received the 3D model from [video game developer] Naughty Dog and made an extreme effort to match every detail from the game exactly, all the way down to the exact same cracks.”
Swain and Onofriechuk remain tight-lipped on the exact Timex, but comparing it to what is currently in the brand’s catalogue, the closest contenders could be an Expedition Titanium model or an MK1. Swain's only hint is that it has to be an automatic. “We wanted watches that wouldn’t require batteries,” he says, presumably because you’re not going to find too many watch batteries or tools to replace them with in a post-apocalyptic world overrun with zombies. “So, you may notice a lot of the cast's watches are automatics.”
Another noticeable watch, an Easter egg for those unfamiliar with the game, also appears at the beginning of the series. In the moment when Abby sets out her intention to avenge her father’s death by murdering Joel, we see her place her father’s dog tags on his grave. Her watch in shot is strikingly similar to that of Joel's. Swain confirms this was no accident and provides a clue for those who don’t know the game that Abby will get her revenge. “While selecting the watches for the cast, we tried to keep the rest of the watches far away from Joel’s, except for Abby. Here, Craig wanted something similar to Joel’s while still being slightly different. We played around with the colours of the strap until we landed on the khaki one you see in the show.”
The other interesting watch choice is the one worn by Tommy, Joel’s brother, seen in the shot when he takes Joel’s timepiece off his dead body as he cleans it in episode three. Swain confirms that Tommy's watch is a Mortima Datomatic, a dive watch from the '70s made by a French brand from the company Cattin & Cie. Swain didn’t say why this specific timepiece was chosen but it does speak to the carefully crafted aesthetic: the Texan plant Indian paintbrush on his boots and his First Nations-crafted belt buckle, which actor Gabriel Luna chose specifically for his character because he felt he was a man who would treasure well made things from before.
The final teaser for fans is that we haven’t seen the last of Joel’s watch. “Spoiler warning. We do see it in flashbacks in future episodes in season two,’ Swain says. But will Ellie ever wear it? “Not as of yet,” Swain replies. That ‘yet’ has us hypothesizing. I guess we’ll have to wait until season three of The Last of Us to find out.
This story originally appeared on British GQ.
