The version of the story I heard is that prior to WWI, wristwatches were considered a feminine accessory. Men carried pocketwatches, but those were unwieldy, so american doughboys adopted wristwatches for field use.
Until I played one of the Carmen games from 1995 with Lynn Thigpen, and I found a note left behind from one of her agents, I didn't realize that Carmen pays her people too Lol