The Bronze Pocket Watch is one of the first errands that teaches Escape From Duckov’s basic loop: navigate Ground Zero, secure a quest item, and get out in one piece. The watch sits in a locked truck cab on the far east side of the map, just beyond a tangle of abandoned cars. Here’s the exact spot, what to bring, and the fastest way home.

Bronze Pocket Watch quest overview

Field Details
Quest name Bronze Pocket Watch
Given by Xavier (Weapons vendor in your bunker)
Map Ground Zero
Main objective Retrieve the Bronze Pocket Watch from a tanker truck and hand it to Xavier
Required items Mechanical Key (to unlock the truck cab); the Bronze Pocket Watch (turn-in)
Rewards Commonly +2,500 XP and 450 money; some builds report 1,000 XP and 1,000 money
Follow-up Cargo List

Find or buy the Mechanical Key

You need a Mechanical Key to open the truck’s driver-side door. You can loot one in the field, but the reliable option is to buy it from the bunker vending machine (660 duck bucks). Carry it in your inventory to the site, or register it via the Key Registration Device if you’ve built one in your base.

Bronze Pocket Watch location (Ground Zero)

The watch is inside the cab of a truck attached to an orange fuel tank at the extreme east edge of Ground Zero. A consistent landmark is the sewer exit: the truck sits just east of that hatch, at the end of a short stretch of road jammed with cars.

Two fast routes to the truck

  • From the bunker entrance (bridge route): Head east to the broken bridge. Bring 2 Wood to repair it, cross, then follow the vehicle-choked road south to the tanker truck at the dead end.
  • From the sewer exit (shortcut route): If you’ve already unblocked this hatch from the surface, pop out, move a short distance east into the car pile, and the tanker is right there.
Tip: If you’re missing Wood near the bunker, check nearby toolboxes; if spawns are unkind, the vending machine back at base can cover you.

Unlock the cab and grab the watch

  • Approach the driver-side door of the tanker truck.
  • Use the Mechanical Key to unlock the door.
  • Loot the Bronze Pocket Watch from the cab.

The interaction point is fussy under pressure, so clear nearby enemies before you start the unlock animation if possible.

Open the sewer shortcut and extract safely

There’s a near-instant exit next to the quest vehicle. To the left of the truck, a box blocks a manhole cover. Move the box to reveal and activate the sewer shortcut back to the bunker’s cellar. Once it’s unblocked, you can use this route any time—perfect for quick turn-ins and repeated runs along the eastern road.

Turn in to Xavier

Return to the bunker and hand the Bronze Pocket Watch to Xavier to complete the task. Reward values can differ between builds, but this early quest consistently advances his line and unlocks the next assignment in his chain.

Common pitfalls and quick fixes

  • Don’t stash the key too early: Keep the Mechanical Key accessible until the truck is unlocked.
  • Watch didn’t spawn? Re-enter Ground Zero and revisit the truck; the objective item can refresh on a new run.
  • Expect resistance near the hatch: AI often patrols around the sewer exit. Clear the immediate area before interacting with the door or manhole.

If you get turned around, anchor on two cues: the tanker at the far eastern edge, and the manhole a few steps away that drops straight back to the bunker. Bring the Mechanical Key, optionally two planks of Wood for the bridge, and your clean extraction is minutes away.