The following article contains spoilers for Hawkeye.
Hawkeye’s first episode introduced a rare Marvel MacGuffin in the form of a seemingly innocent vintage Rolex watch, however, this week’s “Partners, Am I Right?” has made that item the central point of Clint Barton’s Christmas-themed mission.
The watch in itself, most likely an old Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust, according to most connoisseurs, has really never been mentioned before in the MCU, though with its prior location being pinpointed at the old Avengers compound, its origins and purpose could be of utmost importance in Hawkeye. Now that Clint has told his unwanted apprentice, Kate Bishop, that the watch belongs to someone who’s been “out of the game” for a long time, that at least narrows down the list of potential owners.
Steve Rogers
If there was a vintage timepiece lying around in the Avengers’ headquarters then it’s not that far-fetched of an idea that it would belong to the MCU’s most famous senior citizen, Captain America himself. While it’s highly unlikely Marvel would choose to address Cap’s absence in such a trivial way, he is technically out of the game and the “how long?” depends on one’s opinión on time travel.
Unfortunately, Rogers is almost ruled out due to his probable death being too big of a subject even for The Falcon and The Winter Soldier to tackle head-on. Also, the Rolex watch in question is not old enough to belong in Captain America’s first glory days during World War 2.
Tony Stark
When it comes to gadgets, nobody beats Tony Stark who also happens to be quite the aficionado of shiny expensive watches, so it's easy to see why initially he was the suspected owner of this valuable trinket. Most crucially Tony fits the bill after his sacrifice in Endgame, plus he’s been known to retrofit his full Iron Man suits inside wristwatches.
If the mysterious Rolex wasn't such a big deal in Hawkeye, this theory might just hold up as the watch itself could be hiding or serve as a key to access some crucial secret. However, with the MCU seeking to step away from its former Avengers roster, this would definitely be more of a curveball after episode four.
Laura Barton
Clint Barton’s family had barely set foot in Age of Ultron before they were snapped by Thanos in Endgame, yet as Hawkeye depicts its hero trying to get back home for the holidays the Bartons become a crucial part of the show. This has also allowed the beautiful relationship between Clint and Laura to blossom just a bit, though the latest episode took things up a notch by revealing an unforeseen facet of Mrs. Barton.
As it turns out, Laura is way more than just Clint’s partner and silent confidant, because she’s the one who brings up the watch during their conversation in German over the phone. This shocker reveal establishes Laura as more than meets the eye, plus her ability to track Jack’s Sloan Ltd. so fast speaks of a certain level spy skills.
Besides Clint’s desire to keep his family in hiding after becoming a SHIELD agent, very little is known about Laura, and considering her character is already heavily changed from the comics, the watch might as well be hers. If that’s the case, it would all line up with Echo’s possible plan to go after Clint's family in the final two episodes.
Nick Fury
The other old-timer in the MCU who, just like Steve Rogers, also has an ample story background predating the Avengers as seen during Captain Marvel. Fury’s upcoming role in his own Disney Plus series, plus his absence after venturing to a space vacation technically place him out of the game, though it’s unclear if Clint would be privy to such details if that’s the case.
Still, the watch’s age and style would match Fury in his past days as a lower-level government employee when he was still stuck at his desk, rather than putting together the universe’s most powerful task force. Just like Laura, if the Rolex belongs to him, it could be tied to all sorts of sensitive and highly classified information.
Phil Coulson
This one may be a bit of a left-field option since Agent Coulson has been dead for over a decade after Loki ended his life, and yet that does fit the bill in terms of how long of an absence Clint might be talking about. At the same time, Clint may have a personal attachment to Coulson and, unlike any of the other candidates, Coulson was often seen wearing fancy watches during his time in Agents of SHIELD and his appearances in movies.
If the coveted Rolex is to double down on its MacGuffin status, then the watch probably belongs to Laura, and after that’s revealed it’ll have very little purpose besides giving the Tracksuit Mafia an easy lead to Clint’s family. In any case, expect this particular plot device to get a quick windup during next week’s episode.