There was a period of time where manufacturers tried to solve this problem, at least for athletes. There was the Timex OVA (Optimum Viewing Angle) where the wat

There was a period of time where manufacturers tried to solve this problem, at least for athletes. There was the Timex OVA (Optimum Viewing Angle) where the watch face was located at the top of the wrist, using a very rigid strap: https://kr.aving.net/news/articleViewAmp.html?idxno=10025 https://kr.aving.net/news/articleViewAmp.html?idxno=10025 I had one. It looked strange, but the face was much more visible. However, it also meant that the watch face had to be a lot smaller. There was also the Nike Triax which rotated the screen 45 degrees: https://www.gq.com/story/nike-triax-watch https://www.gq.com/story/nike-triax-watch Both of these were phased out probably due to their weirdness. And also because watches, even for athletes, play a role as jewelry, especially in the social media age. It's common in the military to wear your watch on the inside of your wrist, where it's more visible but also less prone to damage.