three o'clock
`` There , '' he exclaimed at last , holding the watch up where they could all see it . `` See ! '' He pulled out the stem to set the hands and slowly twisted it between his thumb and finger . He turned the hands until they were almost at the point of three o'clock . Then he held the watch out where all could see it . They bent closer and strained their eyes at the little second hand ticking away merrily . As the minute hand touched three , from the back of the case , as if from the casing itself , a little needle , perhaps a quarter of an inch , jumped out .