CBSE Class 11 English Chapter 2 My Watch NCERT Solutions

Reviewed by NCERT Help Editorial Team · Updated on 29 Jul 2026

NCERT Solutions PDF Class 11 PDF

CBSE Class 11 English, Chapter 2, 'My Watch' NCERT Solutions explore the author's amusing yet exasperating journey with a faulty watch. The narrative details his initial trust in the timepiece, followed by growing despair as numerous watchmakers prove unable to repair it. This experience leads him to a profound realization about the critical importance of specialized knowledge. The author employs sharp wit and irony to critique the superficial 'tinkering' approach of some repair professionals and gently mocks his own naivety. These solutions offer a comprehensive grasp of the story's plot, its deeper thematic concerns, and the author's insightful commentary on the difference between true expertise and mere dabbling. They are designed to help students thoroughly understand the text's subtleties and the author's viewpoint, thereby enhancing their exam readiness.

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Quick info

Board	CBSE
Class	Class 11
Subject	English
Session	2026
Language	English
Type	NCERT Solutions
Chapter	2. My Watch

Chapter summary

NCERT Solutions for CBSE Class 11 English, Chapter 2 'My Watch', offers a detailed analysis of the author's narrative. The solutions cover the author's deep attachment to his watch, his arduous and ultimately unsuccessful attempts to get it repaired by numerous watchmakers, and his eventual humorous resignation. Key themes explored include the author's disillusionment with 'tinkers' and the importance of specialized skills, as articulated through his uncle's wisdom. These solutions help students grasp the story's humor, irony, and the underlying message about expertise.

Learning outcomes

Understand the author's emotional attachment to his watch.
Analyze the author's repeated and unsuccessful attempts at watch repair.
Identify the humor and irony used in the narrative.
Explain the concept of specialization versus general tinkering as presented in the text.
Interpret the author's comparison of his watch's condition to a mummy.
Appreciate the author's final realization and acceptance regarding the watch.

Topics covered

Paper topics

Understanding the text
Author's relationship with his watch
Watch repair attempts
The concept of specialization
Humor and irony in literature
Interpreting literary lines
The 'tinker' versus the 'specialist'
Narrative analysis
Character reflection
Theme of expertise

Important topics

Author's struggle with watch repair
The importance of specialization
Humor and irony in the narrative
Interpreting the author's analogies (mummy, steam)
Uncle William's wisdom

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Questions and Solutions

Question 1

What was the importance of the watch to the author?

Solution: The watch held significant importance for the author primarily because it accurately displayed the correct time, thereby ensuring his punctuality. He had relied on it for eighteen months without any issues until he inadvertently let it run down. The author had immense faith in its reliability and precision, noting that it functioned perfectly during that period, neither gaining nor losing any time.

Question 2

What were the attempts made by the author to get his watch repaired?

Solution: After his watch stopped working following eighteen months of use, the author embarked on a quest to get it repaired. The very next day, he visited numerous watchmakers, starting with the chief jeweller. The head of this establishment adjusted the regulator too much, worsening the watch's condition. Subsequently, another watchmaker kept the watch for a week but slowed it down excessively. The author then consulted several more watchmakers, with one keeping it for three days and others for varying periods. Despite spending thousands of dollars across these attempts, none could successfully fix the watch. In a final, desperate effort, he approached a watchmaker who turned out to be a former steam-boat engineer, not a specialized watch repairer. This experience led the author to realize that a good item can be ruined by inept repair attempts.

Question 3

Why did the author finally give up on his watch?

Solution: The author finally gave up on repairing his watch after multiple unsuccessful attempts, having taken it to be repaired seven times. The cumulative cost of these repairs had escalated to two to three thousand dollars, far exceeding the watch's original price of two hundred dollars, yet the watch remained malfunctioning. During his seventh visit, he encountered a watchmaker who was an old acquaintance and a steam-boat engineer, whom he did not consider a skilled watch repairer. This encounter, coupled with the repeated failures, made him recall his Uncle William's saying: "a good horse was a good horse until it had run away once, and that a good watch was a good watch until the repairers got a chance at it." This realization prompted him to abandon the futile repair efforts and accept the watch's condition.

Question 4

What was Uncle William's comment on the 'tinkerers' of the world?

Solution: While Uncle William is not a character directly involved in the narrative's events, his wisdom is shared by the author. Upon his final, unsuccessful attempt to repair the watch, the author reflected on the exorbitant repair costs and the futility of the efforts. This led him to remember his Uncle William's observation: "a good horse was a good horse until it had run away once, and that a good watch was a good watch until the repairers got a chance at it." The author understood that Uncle William recognized that many individuals who attempt repairs, or 'tinkerers', lack true specialization. They are often 'Jacks' of all trades but masters of none. Uncle William used to ponder the fate of unsuccessful professionals like gunsmiths, shoe-makers, engineers, and blacksmiths, emphasizing the importance of acquiring expertise in at least one specific field to avoid being merely an apprentice or a 'tinker'.

Question 5

Explain these lines:

I seemed to detect in myself a sort of sneaking fellow-feeling for the mummy in the museum, and a desire to swap news with him.
Within a week it sickened to a raging fever and its pulse went up to a hundred and fifty in the shade.
She makes too much steam—you want to hang the monkey wrench on the safety valve!

Solution:

The author uses this line to express his feeling of being out of sync with time. After his watch was regulated for the second time, it began running so slow that he missed appointments and felt left behind by the world. He felt as though he was living in the past, much like a mummy preserved from ancient times. This comparison highlights his isolation and his desire for companionship with someone equally out of time, like a mummy in a museum.
This line describes the erratic behavior of the author's watch after it was tampered with by the chief jeweller. Instead of being set correctly, the watch began to run excessively fast, gaining time rapidly. The author likens this rapid acceleration to a 'raging fever' with a high 'pulse rate' (150 beats per minute), indicating its unhealthy and uncontrolled speed. This exaggeration emphasizes how the watch had gone from being too slow to excessively fast, becoming completely unreliable.
This line is spoken by the seventh watchmaker, who is identified as a former steam-boat engineer. The author interprets this statement as a typical diagnosis from a 'tinker' rather than a specialist. The phrase suggests that the watch is overheating or malfunctioning due to excessive pressure ('too much steam'), and the proposed solution ('hang the monkey wrench on the safety valve') implies a crude, potentially dangerous, and non-specialized fix. This reinforces the author's belief, echoing his Uncle William's wisdom, that such 'tinkers' often do more harm than good.

Appreciation Question

How is humour employed to comment on the pains that the author took to get his watch set right.

Solution: Humour is effectively employed throughout the narrative to comment on the author's arduous and ultimately futile attempts to repair his watch. The story derives its humour from the sheer absurdity of the situation: the author's deep affection for his watch, contrasted with the repeated failures of seven different watchmakers. The narrative highlights the irony of the author spending a fortune on repairs that only worsen the watch's condition. Each visit to a new watchmaker is presented as a hopeful yet comical episode, as they 'toy' with the watch, disassembling and reassembling it, only to deliver it back in a worse state. The author's descriptions of the watch's erratic behaviour—running too slow, then too fast—are exaggerated for comedic effect. The final encounter with the steam-boat engineer, who offers a dubious diagnosis, further adds to the humour by underscoring the theme that many 'tinkers' lack genuine expertise, making the author's prolonged suffering a source of wry amusement.

Common mistakes

Confusing the author's personal experience with general advice on watch repair.
Overlooking the subtle humor and irony in the author's descriptions.
Failing to connect the uncle's saying to the author's own experience with the watchmakers.
Misinterpreting the author's feelings towards the watchmakers.

Revision tips

Reread the chapter, paying close attention to the author's descriptions of his watch and the repair attempts.
Focus on the author's comparison to the mummy and the 'steam' analogy to understand his frustration.
Discuss the meaning of 'tinker' and 'specialist' with classmates, using examples from the text.
Summarize the author's journey from hope to despair to acceptance regarding his watch.
Practice explaining the humor employed by the author to describe his predicament.

Practice MCQs

Q1. What was the initial importance of the watch to the author?

Q2. How long did the author possess the watch before it stopped working correctly?

Q3. What was the author's initial reaction after his watch ran down?

Q4. What did the author realize after spending thousands of dollars on repairs?

Q5. Who was the last watchmaker the author consulted, and what was his background?

Q6. What does the author mean by comparing himself to a mummy in a museum?

Frequently asked questions

What is the main theme of the chapter 'My Watch'?

The main theme revolves around the author's humorous yet frustrating experience with his malfunctioning watch and the subsequent failed repair attempts, ultimately leading to a reflection on the importance of specialization versus general tinkering.

Why did the author compare himself to a mummy?

The author compared himself to a mummy because his watch was running extremely slow, making him feel disconnected from the present and as if he were living in the past, similar to how a mummy belongs to ancient times.

What lesson did the author learn from his watch repair experiences?

The author learned that 'a good watch is a good watch until the repairers got a chance at it,' implying that unskilled or generalist repair attempts ('tinkering') can often ruin a perfectly good item, highlighting the value of specialized expertise.

How is humor used in the chapter?

Humor is employed through the author's witty descriptions of his ordeal with multiple incompetent watchmakers, the escalating costs, and his eventual resignation, making the narrative engaging despite the frustrating subject matter.

Who was Uncle William, and what was his significance?

Uncle William is not a character present in the story but is referenced by the author for his wisdom. His saying about a good horse and a good watch serves as a guiding principle for the author's realization about the limitations of 'tinkers'.

What does the phrase 'She makes too much steam—you want to hang the monkey wrench on the safety valve!' signify?

This phrase, used by the last watchmaker, is an analogy suggesting an uncontrolled or dangerous situation. The author interprets it as another example of a 'tinker's' diagnosis, reinforcing his belief that these individuals lack true expertise.

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