Most players grab a Fine Wristwatch, sell it for a quick 3,000 credits, and move on. That was the smart play for a while, since it didn't have any crafting purpose. The Shrouded Sky update changed things. The Weather Monitor System project now requires one Fine Wristwatch to complete its third stage, and suddenly everyone needs to find one on purpose instead of by accident. Below, we'll cover every reliable location and the fastest farming method so you can track one down without wasting runs.

What Is the Fine Wristwatch?

The Fine Wristwatch is a Rare trinket in ARC Raiders. Trinkets are lootable items that spawn across maps, usually inside containers, on counters, or sitting on tables out in the open. They're different from crafting materials that drop off enemies or resource nodes. Instead, trinkets appear in specific loot zones and you need to physically search the environment to find them.

As a Rare item, the Fine Wristwatch shows up less often than Common trinkets, but it's not the rarest thing out there either. It spawns in Commercial and Residential areas, which makes sense for an everyday item like a watch. The maps with the most Commercial and Residential zones are where you want to focus your farming runs.

Fine Wristwatch item in ARC Raiders inventory — The Fine Wristwatch - a Rare trinket found in Commercial and Residential loot zones across ARC Raiders maps

What Is the Fine Wristwatch Used For?

Selling for Credits: Each Fine Wristwatch sells for 3,000 credits. Pick up two or three in a single run and you're walking away with a solid payday.

Weather Monitor System Project: The third stage of the Weather Monitor System project requires you to submit one Fine Wristwatch, along with Arc Powercells, Canisters, and Steel Springs. Completing this submission gives you a Level 3 Renegade and moves you closer to finishing the full Weather Monitor project.

Protect Your Find

If you're working toward the Weather Monitor, hold onto the first Fine Wristwatch you find instead of selling it. The other materials for that stage (Arc Powercells, Canisters, Steel Springs) are items you've probably already stockpiled from regular play, so the watch itself tends to be the thing holding you back. Move it to a Safe Pocket as soon as you pick it up so you don't lose it before extraction.

Best Maps for Finding a Fine Wristwatch

A Fine Wristwatch can technically appear on any map, but some have way more spawn opportunities than others. Below is how they rank from most to least productive.

Buried City (Best Option, 8 Spawn Areas)

Buried City blows every other map out of the water for Fine Wristwatch farming. Eight distinct areas can spawn the trinket, giving you more chances per raid than anywhere else. The spawn locations are spread across both halves of the map, so you can plan a route that hits most of them in one go.

Southern Buried City has the densest cluster of spawn points. Almost every building in this section falls within a Commercial or Residential loot zone:

Santa Maria Houses is a residential area with multiple searchable buildings and one of the most reliable trinket spots on the map.
Plaza Rosa offers another strong cluster. Players have confirmed finding Fine Wristwatches inside apartments here.
Grandioso Apartments is a residential complex with decent Rare trinket spawn chances.
Piazza Arbusto sits further east and rounds out the southern side.

Northern Buried City adds three more areas worth visiting:

The Library has a decent shot at trinket spawns.
Space Travel Building is a northern landmark with Fine Wristwatch potential.
The Galleria gives you a third reason to search the northern half.

Optimal Farming Route

A good approach is to start south, sweep through Santa Maria Houses, Plaza Rosa, Grandioso Apartments, and Piazza Arbusto, then rotate north for the Library, Space Travel, and Galleria. That covers all eight areas in a single run.

Buried City map showing Fine Wristwatch spawn locations in ARC Raiders — Buried City offers the highest density of Fine Wristwatch spawn areas - eight total across the southern and northern halves

Dam Battlegrounds (Moderate Option)

Dam Battlegrounds has a handful of Fine Wristwatch spawn locations, and they split pretty cleanly between rewarding but dangerous spots and quieter ones with lower odds.

Best Spawn Locations (More Dangerous):

Research Building sits near the center of the map and is one of the strongest spawn points here. Its central location means other players are probably heading the same direction, and ARCs patrol inside and outside.
Administration Building is close to Research and shares the same strengths and risks.
Testing Annex is over toward the southeast. Strong spawn potential, similar danger level.

Quieter Alternatives (Lower Chance):

Pale Apartments is a northern building with no loot icon on the map, so most players skip it entirely. It can still contain trinkets, including the Fine Wristwatch, despite the missing marker.
Ruby Residence is another unmarked northern building. Like Pale Apartments, it trades lower spawn odds for much less competition.

If you don't mind PvP and ARC fights, the Research Building, Administration Building, and Testing Annex are your best bets. For a calmer experience, Pale Apartments and Ruby Residence give you a shot without the chaos.

The Blue Gate (Moderate Option, 3 Spawn Areas)

The Blue Gate has three spots worth checking.

Northern Blue Gate:

The Village is one of the two prime locations here. It's close to Raider's Refuge, making it easy to search both without much travel time.
Raider's Refuge pairs well with the Village for a quick back to back sweep.

Southern Blue Gate:

Ruined Homestead is the third option. A large ARC enemy usually patrols this area, such as a Bastion or a Leaper. You might catch a break if the ARC is busy fighting another player, but plan for a confrontation if you head here.

The Village and Raider's Refuge in the north are the better picks on this map since they're close together and generally safer.

Spaceport and Stella Montis (Not Recommended)

Both maps technically have Fine Wristwatch spawn points, but each only offers about two locations where the trinket can appear. Spaceport just doesn't give you enough chances to make farming worthwhile. Stella Montis has the same problem plus heavier player traffic. Unless you're already on one of these maps for a different reason, stick with Buried City, Dam Battlegrounds, or The Blue Gate.

ARC Raiders residential area interior with lootable containers — Search every cabinet, container, and surface inside Residential and Commercial zones for Fine Wristwatch spawns

The Bird City Modifier

If you're specifically hunting for a Fine Wristwatch, the Bird City map modifier is the fastest way to get one. This condition rotates periodically on the Buried City map and is by far the best trinket farming opportunity in ARC Raiders.

When Bird City is active, chimneys across Buried City's rooftops contain lootable bird nests. These nests drop trinkets at a much higher rate than normal containers. You can expect multiple trinkets per run, including Fine Wristwatches, rubber ducks, and other valuables you can sell for credits.

Best Chimney Locations During Bird City

These areas have multiple chimneys packed into a small space, making rooftop looting fast and worthwhile:

Town Hall
Santa Maria Houses
Piazza Arbusto
Plaza Rosa

Just move across the rooftops, loot every chimney you find, and keep going. Even if the first few nests don't drop a Fine Wristwatch, the sheer volume of trinkets makes it very likely you'll grab one before the raid ends. Everything else you pick up is pure profit.

Bird City isn't always available since it rotates in and out, so check the map conditions before you queue for Buried City. When it's active, prioritize it over standard runs.

Extra Tips for Finding Rare Trinkets

Search everything. In Residential and Commercial areas, don't just hit the obvious loot spots. Open every cabinet, container, and searchable object inside buildings. Fine Wristwatches appear in all sorts of container types, not just the main loot crates. They can also spawn sitting in plain sight on counters, tables, and other surfaces, so pay attention to your surroundings as you move through interiors.

Try Night Raids. Running raids during a Night Raid or with other active map modifiers can boost your chances of finding rare items. These conditions shift the loot tables in your favor, making Rare trinkets like the Fine Wristwatch more likely to show up.

Protect your find. If you grab a Fine Wristwatch and need it for the Weather Monitor project, get it into a Safe Pocket right away. Losing a Rare trinket to another player or a bad extraction means starting the whole search over. Only sell your Fine Wristwatches after you've secured the one you need for the project.

Bird City modifier active on Buried City rooftops in ARC Raiders — The Bird City modifier turns Buried City rooftops into a trinket farming goldmine - loot chimneys for easy Fine Wristwatches

Quick Reference Summary

Detail	Info
Item Type	Rare Trinket
Sell Value	3,000 Credits
Loot Zones	Commercial and Residential
Best Map	Buried City (8 spawn areas)
Other Good Maps	Dam Battlegrounds, The Blue Gate (3 areas)
Best Farming Method	Bird City modifier on Buried City
Project Use	Weather Monitor System, Stage 3 (requires 1 Fine Wristwatch)
Other Stage 3 Materials	Arc Powercells, Canisters, Steel Springs
Stage 3 Reward	Level 3 Renegade