You’re running through the tall grass in Mourningdale, dodging a stray corrupted cat, and checking your quest log for the tenth time. Honestly, New World can be a bit of a grind when the drop rates don't go your way. If you’re hunting for the lost stopwatch New World players often obsess over, you know the struggle is real. It’s not just a piece of junk. It’s a specific quest item for the "Time is Money" side story, and finding it is basically a rite of passage for anyone trying to clear out their journal in the mid-game zones.
It's frustrating.
Most people expect a giant glowing chest or a quest marker that points directly to the dirt. That’s not how Aeternum works. Instead, you're looking for a tiny, easily missed interaction point. The Lost Stopwatch isn't some random drop from a level 60 elite boss; it’s tucked away in a specific location that feels almost designed to make you walk right past it.
Where the Lost Stopwatch New World Item Actually Hides
To get this done, you need to head to the Mourningdale region. Specifically, you are looking for an area called Suburban Gardens. It’s located toward the southern end of the territory. If you’re coming from the Mourningdale settlement, head south-southeast. You’ll see the typical ruined structures and overgrowth that define this part of the map.
The stopwatch is inside a small, dilapidated house. Don't go looking for a chest. Look for a small, sparkling glint on the floorboards or near a crate. It’s easy to miss if the lighting in your game is set to "cinematic" or "high," because the shadows in those ruins are thick. Kinda annoying, right? You’d think a legendary explorer would leave a better trail, but no, you're stuck squinting at floorboards.
Why Everyone Struggles with "Time is Money"
The quest itself is given by an NPC named Salty Sam. He’s your typical salty dog character, and he wants his precious timepiece back. The reason this specific quest causes so many headaches is the lack of a precise "Search Area" radius that actually encompasses the item. Sometimes the map marker is slightly offset, leading players to run around the exterior of the ruins while the watch sits quietly inside a room they already cleared of mobs.
- Zone: Mourningdale
- Location: Suburban Gardens (Southern part)
- Object: A small, interactable item on the ground, not a lootable container.
You've probably noticed that New World loves these "pixel hunt" style quests. It’s a throwback to older MMOs, but in a game with modern graphics, tiny quest items often clip into the environment or get obscured by foliage. If you can’t see it, try toggling your graphics settings or simply prone-crawling through the room. It sounds silly, but it works when the interaction prompt won't pop up.
The Frustration of New World Quest Design
Let’s be real for a second. The lost stopwatch New World quest is a perfect example of the game's early design philosophy. They wanted players to explore every nook and cranny. While that sounds great on paper, in practice, it leads to players standing in the same spot for twenty minutes asking in Global Chat, "Where is the watch??"
I’ve seen it happen dozens of times.
The drop isn't bugged—usually. There have been patches where interaction prompts in Mourningdale were a bit wonky, but generally, it’s just a visibility issue. If you’re in a group, only one person can grab it at a time sometimes, or the respawn timer for the "interactable" takes a minute or two. Just hang out, kill a few more Lost, and wait for the glint to reappear.
Handling the Mobs in Suburban Gardens
Don't go in there unprepared if you're under-leveled. The Lost in this area are around level 45-50. They aren't particularly tough, but they pack a punch if you get swarmed while trying to read your map. Use a Great Axe or a Fire Staff for some quick AoE (Area of Effect) damage to clear the room before you start your search.
There’s nothing worse than getting interrupted by a shambling corpse right as the "E - Pick Up" bar is 90% full.
Honestly, the best way to handle these "fetch" quests in New World is to treat them like a tactical insertion. Get in, clear the immediate vicinity, grab the loot, and get out. Don't linger. The respawn rates in Suburban Gardens can be surprisingly fast, and you don't want to get pinned in a corner of a broken house because you were too busy looking at your inventory.
Technical Nuances and Potential Bugs
Sometimes, the lost stopwatch New World prompt simply won't appear. If you are standing exactly where your buddy says it is and you see nothing, it might be a phase issue. Try these steps:
- Relog. It’s the classic MMO fix for a reason.
- Abandon and re-acquire the quest from Salty Sam if it seems truly stuck.
- Check if you already have it in your "Quest Items" tab in your inventory. You might have picked it up during a previous frenzy and forgotten to turn it in.
The inventory system in New World is... a lot. Quest items don't take up weight, but they do sit in their own category. It’s easy to overlook that you’ve already completed the "find" portion of the objective.
Beyond the Stopwatch: Navigating Mourningdale
Mourningdale is a weird zone. It’s beautiful in a depressing, rainy sort of way, but it’s a hotspot for mid-game burnout. Finding the lost stopwatch is just one small piece of the puzzle. While you're down in the southern ruins, keep an eye out for Hemp and Silkweed. This area is surprisingly dense with crafting materials that people often ignore because they're too focused on the quest markers.
👉 See also: Romance of the Three Kingdoms 14: Why the Hex Map Changed Everything
Actually, that’s a pro tip: always be gathering. Even if you're just there for the stopwatch, those resources are gold on the Trading Post.
Actionable Steps for Completing the Quest
To wrap this up and get you back to leveling, here is exactly how to handle the "Time is Money" quest chain without losing your cool.
First, verify you have the quest active in your log. If you don't see it, head to the Mourningdale settlement and look for the yellow exclamation marks. Salty Sam is usually the culprit. Second, teleport to the closest Spirit Shrine to the south. It’ll save you a five-minute walk through territory filled with annoying obstacles.
Once you arrive at the Suburban Gardens ruins:
- Enter the main cluster of broken houses.
- Locate the specific house with the wooden floorboards still somewhat intact.
- Look for the white "glint" or spark on the ground.
- Kill the 2-3 Lost enemies that will inevitably aggro onto you.
- Interact with the item and verify the quest objective updates to "Return to Salty Sam."
Don't fast travel back immediately if you're low on Azoth. There are several other chests in the vicinity that have a decent chance of dropping refined materials or gear that you can salvage for repair parts.
Once you return the watch, you'll get your XP, some gold, and maybe a piece of gear that you’ll probably replace in three levels. But hey, it’s one less quest clogging up your map. The real reward is just being done with Mourningdale's southern ruins. Those stairs are a nightmare to navigate anyway.