The Ring, the Watch, and the Wallet is one of my favorite stand-up effects. I love Tommy Wonder’s routine—the instantaneous nature of the trick, the timing, the structure—the audience just has no idea where the trick is going, up until the moment their heads jolt back in surprise as they see all the items back on the magician’s body. It’s essentially a vanish and reappearance of three items, but the way they disappear, followed by an impossibly fast return to their own locations, makes this a marvel of an effect.
When I first read Tommy’s version in The Books of Wonder: Volume I, I was surprised to see the heavy apparatus and construction involved, contrasting with the visually simple and quick effect. Further, the premise of getting mugged on the street did not make sense for my character. I sought to devise my own method and presentation to achieve the effect that included all the components that would make this a practical and fun routine for me to perform. I set out to create a version that could be performed without sleeves, where all the objects reappear visibly and instantly—no need to roll up a sleeve to reveal a watch or open a wallet to show the cash—and that felt true to my style. This led me to create the following routine. Please enjoy.
Effect
The magician’s reading glasses, watch, and ID are placed in an envelope, instantly disappear, and reappear back on the magician’s person. This is my handling and presentation for the Ring, Watch, and Wallet routine (rooted in Oswald Rae’s Hold Up) that is visual, self-contained, instantly resettable, and can be performed sleeveless.