Stopwatch

The Stopwatch, also known as Pocket Watch, Clock, Hourglass, Timer or Watch, is one of the classic sub-weapons featured in the Castlevania series. It is used to slow down or completely stop time temporarily.
==Description==
The Stopwatch is most useful against enemies that move around a lot and/or are hard to hit. It normally lasts 5 seconds and traditionally consumes 5 Hearts, a considerable higher amount than other sub-weapons.
Some enemies (especially bosses) are immune to time-stopping events, or are only slowed down instead of freezing completely.
Its Item Crash involves a longer amount of time freezing, and sometimes an energy attack following the end of the attack. Some other games feature spells or abilities that essentially work like as the stopwatch does, such has the Chronomage's soul in Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, and a Time Stop spell in Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin.
The stopwatch is the traditional sub-weapon that is most frequently absent from certain games.
==Game specific information==
===Castlevania===
The original Castlevania featured a Watch as one of the five original sub-weapons that could be used in the game. The player could only equip a single sub-weapon at a time, each which could be obtained from hitting a particular candle or as a drop item from an enemy. By holding ↑ while attacking, all enemies on the screen freeze. However, the game's stage timer, moving platforms and traps, and some bosses are unaffected by this action. The watch is the only sub-weapon in this game that takes more than one Heart, and it takes 5 Hearts to be used. It is also the only sub-weapon in the game that cannot be enhanced with the use of Double or Triple Shot. The watch has no effect on bosses after the second level.
As seen in early design materials found in the Castlevania Anniversary Collection, the original idea for the Pocket Watch was that it might add time to the game timer or stop the game timer for a period of time.
===Vampire Killer===
The Hourglass in Vampire Killer is essentially the same thing as a stopwatch and acts in a similar manner when used. It is only one of two sub-weapons that consume hearts in this game (the other is Holy Water). It is possible to have both sub-weapons equipped at the same time in this game, however, and the button combinations to use them is different (Jump + ↓ for Hour Glass, and Jump + → or ← for Holy Water). Both sub-weapons consume 5 hearts in this game.
===Haunted Castle===
The Timer is the only sub-weapon in Haunted Castle that looks and behaves like one of the traditional sub-weapons. In this game, it only consumes 2 Hearts, but has the same effect as the Hourglass from Vampire Killer for the MSX. It is also effective against all bosses, that even Dracula can be held frozen and easily beaten during his encounter. Due to these reasons, it is one of the most valuable sub-weapons in the game and arguably worth keeping over most other sub-weapons.
However, in the remake Haunted Castle Revisited, this sub-weapon has been removed.
===Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse===
The Stopwatch found in Dracula's Curse is identical to the watch found in the original Castlevania. It is the only sub-weapon that can be used by all four characters, and is notably the only sub-weapon that can be equipped by Alucard.
===Super Castlevania IV===
The Watch in Super Castlevania IV is similar to that found in the original Castlevania.
===Castlevania: Circle of the Moon===
The Clock is the only sub-weapon not affected by Shooter Mode. Its cost remains the same, and the crash damage is also the same. In this game, there are two levels of time stop, one is from normal use, and the other one is from Item Crash. The second one affects more enemies, and can completely stop some (if not all) enemies, which could only be slowed down by the first level. Using Pluto + Serpent combination will double the duration.
===Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate===
==Item Data==
==Gallery==
==See also==
*Stolas' Clock
*Stopwatch (Lords of Shadow)
*Soul Wind
*Time Stop
Category:Traditional Sub-Weapons
Category:Adventure ReBirth Items
Category:Castlevania Items
Category:Chronicles Items
Category:Circle of the Moon Items
Category:Curse of Darkness Items
Category:The Dracula X Chronicles Items
Category:Dracula's Curse Items
Category:Haunted Castle Items
Category:Legends Items
Category:Rondo of Blood Items
Category:Super Castlevania IV Items
Category:Symphony of the Night Items
Category:Vampire Killer Items