About

Speed Watches or IShowSpeed Watches is an exploitable reaction meme based on a clip from YouTuber and streamer IShowSpeed's 'EARLY STREAM' in which Speed nods and smiles while holding his chin. The meme was popularized on sites like TikTok and Instagram Reels throughout December 2025 and January 2026, mostly as a reaction image in comment sections. It also inspired edits, including an edit in which Speed has been given large eyes and drool pours from his mouth.

Origin

On December 29th, 2021, IShowSpeed hosted a stream on YouTube^[1] titled, "EARLY STREAM!" garnering over 10 million views over five years. Moments from the stream inspired multiple memes, including the My Mom Is Kinda Homeless meme and Speed Trying Not To Laugh meme.

Shortly after the 2:44:40 timestamp, while Speed is talking with two people with whom he is playing Fortnite, who are arguing, Speed smiles and nods his head while holding his chin.

The video of Speed nodding started to become a reaction image in late 2025. One of the earliest known uses of the clip as a reaction was posted by X^[2] user @MagicalXavi on August 8th, 2025, garnering over 5,000 likes in five months.

Spread

The meme was popularized on apps like TikTok and Reels starting in December 2025. A still or GIF of the clip with the words "watches" above Speed's head is often used in comment sections. It is unknown who first used this version of the reaction image.

On December 2nd, 2025, TikToker^[3] @chiefgreenscreens posted a green screen edit of the clip, garnering over 180,000 views in about two months. The top comment under the post, with over 1,200 likes, is the "Speed Watches" reaction image.

As the meme spread, new variations of it started to emerge as reaction images, some of them using AI to exaggerate or alter the original image.

On January 9th, 2026, TikToker^[4] @usr29302 posted a video that adds motion to an edit of the reaction image, showing Speed drooling, garnering over 45,000 views in 20 days. The video inspired commenters to post other variations of the meme.

Various Examples

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Search Interest

External References