Why is it called a watch?

The earliest wristwatches were created as women’s fashion items in the late 19th century. Back then, “wristwatch” was a diminutive, even a pet name, used only to distinguish wristwatches from the larger and more standard “watches” which were carried in pockets. People liked the compact and stylish wrist mounted watches and soon these supplanted pocket watches in common use. The more specific name “wristwatch” was then shortened simply to “watch”, which then became the generic name for all timepieces worn on the wrist, regardless of their size or gender associations.