The official challenge went live in the last 12 hours and lets players earn exclusive in-game pets by completing a watch-based treasure hunt. It's the kind of low-key event that keeps the community logging in between bigger drops.
If you are bored waiting for the next big Minecraft feature drop there is something small but useful to chase right now. Mojang has activated the Treasure Hunt watch challenge which rolled out in the past 12 hours.
What the challenge actually gives you
Complete the objectives and you can claim a special pet companion. The wording on the official page hints it might even be two. These are the kind of cosmetic or functional pets that players actually use rather than pure fluff.
The watch mechanic seems to be the hook. It turns regular play into a targeted hunt for treasures or specific actions. Mojang has run similar limited-time events before and they tend to drive a noticeable uptick in daily logins.
Head over to the official Minecraft news page for the full participation steps. The challenge is available across supported editions and does not appear to require any purchases.
These events rarely last forever so the window is tight. If you have been sitting on a world with nothing urgent to do this is your cue.