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Details

Jumping Watch

El Duco

(Based on 1 review)
Two solid ropes are displayed, one red and one white. A spectator may even check them by pulling the rope. No magnets or fasteners, no loose pieces or extra loops. The spectator ties the ends of the ropes together, forming one red loop and one white loop. Again the spectator may pull on the loops to check for openings. You now borrow a spectator's wristwatch and lock it around either of the loops. The magician now takes the watch and magically links it to the other loop. Once again, the spectator may check both the knots and the watch.

Reviews

Sean Carpenter

May 31, 2004

My heart leapt when I saw that this product was in the database, as it's always fun to review a product that is buttock-clenchingly awful. It is also the only enjoyment I am ever likely to get from purchasing this effect.

Let me start by quoting the following description from the ad:

"Two solid ropes, one red and one white, are displayed. A spectator checks them by pulling the ropes. Now let the spectator tie the ends together so that you get one white and one red loop. Ask the spectator to remove his watch and lock it around one of the loops. Assume he chooses the white loop. In the very next moment, without any hidden moves, the watch is linked to the red loop!"

That description probably gave you the impression that the spectators can handle the ropes very freely, tugging them and tying the knots with the ropes in their own hands. If so, this effect will be a major disappointment. The ropes are, in fact, so un-examinable that you can never let them out of your grasp at any point. It is no exaggeration to say that if you allowed a spectator to have possession of the ropes for even one second they would immediately spot exactly how it works. When the spectators tug the ropes to "prove" them solid, they are really only allowed to tug the ends of the ropes while you keep a very tight grip on the middles. The same applies when the ends are tied together. This means that, although there are no magnets or fasteners, there might as well be, as you can't convincingly prove otherwise. It also means that you can’t really have the spectators tug the ropes at all, because if you did they would almost certainly challenge you to let go of them. This would result in the whole routine going down the toilet before the effect has even started.

The ad also leads you to imagine that you can hold the white loop with the watch attached in one hand and the red loop in the other, then bring your hands together for a moment and cause the watch to jump across. You can't. Not only must you hold the ropes at all times, but you must hold them together at all times as well. You can never hold one rope in each hand. What's more, when the watch jumps across it happens at the very point at which you are holding the two loops, under cover of your hand.

The method is quite ingenious, but as a real world routine I consider this as totally unworkable. I sold mine at a magic sale and felt really guilty for charging some poor sucker £1 for it. I would recommend that you avoid this one like a rabid dog.
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