Try to think about what the crystal is reflecting. If I am on my patio- the crystal usually reflects the dappled light coming through the trees above me. Your eye corrects for the reflection and sees through it but the camera can’t. If you are wearing a dark shirt and turn your arm towards your body, the reflection will go dark. A high ceiling on a shady porch won’t usually reflect back on the crystal , so think about what’s bouncing off the surface of the watch, not the watch itself. Also, indirect or raking light (like sunrise or sun-setting light) will always yield a better photo than direct- it also aids in popping textures on surfaces.
Try to eliminate anything that isn't needed in the image - the watch should be the star of the show! Sometimes though props can work too. As most have mentioned reflections are your biggest problem and you need to pay attention to your angles. Using a polariser can help as well.
Another quick one, natural lighting and an app to remove/add colour back, 5 mins tops. The colour of the dial is the only focus.
Couple here. I find zooming in on my phone and holding about 12 inches from the dial helps get decent shots without getting too close to mess with the focus. Not spent any real time with a camera and my watches though.
This is probably my limit of capabilities using an old Nikon D60 and a light tent. I don't really know what I'm doing regarding settings, so I generally take multiple shots at different shutter speeds until I'm relatively happy with the result. I then clean up in Photoshop and (again) play around with the various settings. It's a bit hit and miss.
Guess I'm quite lucky in that I've been using studio lighting for the last.... well, lets just say a long time, so in my case I decide the amount of reflection (or spectral highlights) I want in the photo or if I want to add effects. Also where you want to emphasise, such as the dial finish in the last watch - must remember to clean the watch between shots...
Not much technique for me! Be spontaneous I guess? I just look at my watch and think, this would make a nice photo pulls out phone haha*
I have a passion to take photos of my watches. Here’s one of the latest shots. I use Fujifilm X-T4 camera and different lenses.