The Girl the Gold Watch & Everything (1980) is a made for TV movie starring Pam Dawber (Mindy of Mork & Mindy) and Robert Hays. The film directed by William Wiard is loosely based on the 1962 novel by John D. MacDonald.
The story finds Kirby Winter, a socially awkward young man with no professional objective, as the sole heir to his eccentric millionaire uncle’s estate. His uncle a mathematics wizard, had made his fortune gambling and investing wisely. But instead of passing along his fortune to his rather ill-fortunate nephew, Kirby’s Uncle only willed gave him his treasured gold-watch. Kirby is disheartened, believing that his uncle felt he was unworthy of his inheritance, the pocket watch doesn’t even keep proper time.
An attractive wealthy woman Carla O’Rourke played by Jill Ireland suddenly enters Kirby’s life. She is after his uncle’s fortune and tries to seduce him, in his lack of hard currency and romantic ineptness, he inadvertently spurns her attention. Later Kirby crashing at a friend’s place runs into Bonnie Lee Beaumont whom he falls madly in love with. Together at the beach, he discovers that the watch can stop time and shares the secret with Bonnie. The two use the watch to play practical jokes on the beach-goers.
Meanwhile Carla, who was the arch enemy of Kirby’s uncle, finally learns the secret to his ability to thwart her criminal plot. She and her accomplice go after Kirby and the watch, almost killing him. He uses the device turning the tables on her. Although he could kill her, do anything really, he like his uncle decides that the watch should not be used for murderous misadventure, but makes sure she gets punished just the same.
