<p>I'm not an expert on Japanese culture but if I had to guess, there are some symbolism involved. </p>

<p>1) A pocket watch became popular after World War I and it was one of the expensive items being imported into Asian countries. It was valuable and was something that can be inherited.</p>

<p>2) A watch symbolizes time; past, present, and future. It represents the character's past (usually dark and sad in anime), present (struggles) and future (final goal, whether it's a bright one or inevitable death.)</p>

<p>That's what I think. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-17T19:05:54.490Z
2016-05-17T19:05:54.490Z
monty_bean
<p>In addition to what monty_bean said, a watch does show the symbolism of time, but it's far more significant with a pocket watch, which can have more meaning, such as the engraving on the watch in FMA. </p>

<p>A wristwatch just does not carry the same emotional gravity that a pocket watch does; it would register more as just a fashion accessory or something to tell the time with. The significance of the watch itself wouldn't be nearly as present.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-18T03:13:44.990Z
2016-05-18T03:13:44.990Z
GMY0da
<p>I have not seen a lot of anime, but some of the ones I have seen have pocket watches in them. <em>Noir</em>, <em>Phantom</em>, <em>Fullmetal Alchemist</em>, and <em>Steins;Gate</em> all have pocket watches of some sort in them and are usually an important piece at some point in the anime. How come many anime include pocket watches in them? Thanks.</p>

<p>These images are from <em>Noir</em>, <em>Steins;Gate</em> and <em>Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom</em>.
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/QOm3M.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/QOm3M.jpg" alt="Noir"></a>
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/3IXVL.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/3IXVL.jpg" alt="Steins;Gate"></a>
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/r5uFw.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/r5uFw.jpg" alt="Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom"></a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-17T20:55:41.190Z
Note that with FMA, the approximate historical time-frame that the author had in mind probably justifies some use of pocket watches. This also depends on the shows one is watching; I don't think I've seen any pocket watches lately in the shows that I've watched.
Maroon
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-18T00:22:01.153Z
Why do many anime include pants? Most of the ones I have seen have pants. Pants are usually important, too, in that not having pants is a telltale sign of a show actually secretly being _Strike Witches_.
senshin
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-18T03:58:18.783Z
@senshin Touché, but there are many shows with a low pants density which aren't secretly *Strike Witches*, e.g. Mari Mite, which averages 1 pants / season yet has a rather low Strike Witchosity.
Torisuda
<tropes>
Why do many anime include pocket watches in them?
# Why do many anime include pocket watches in them?
Posted by: username_0 on 2016-05-17
I have not seen a lot of anime, but some of the ones I have seen have pocket watches in them. *Noir*, *Phantom*, *Fullmetal Alchemist*, and *Steins;Gate* all have pocket watches of some sort in them and are usually an important piece at some point in the anime. How come many anime include pocket watches in them? Thanks.

These images are from *Noir*, *Steins;Gate* and *Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom*.
[![Noir](https://i.sstatic.net/QOm3M.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/QOm3M.jpg)
[![Steins;Gate](https://i.sstatic.net/3IXVL.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/3IXVL.jpg)
[![Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom](https://i.sstatic.net/r5uFw.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/r5uFw.jpg)
**Tags:** tropes
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Note that with FMA, the approximate historical time-frame that the author had in mind probably justifies some use of pocket watches. This also depends on the shows one is watching; I don't think I've seen any pocket watches lately in the shows that I've watched.  
> **username_2**: Why do many anime include pants? Most of the ones I have seen have pants. Pants are usually important, too, in that not having pants is a telltale sign of a show actually secretly being _Strike Witches_.  
> **username_3**: @senshin Touché, but there are many shows with a low pants density which aren't secretly *Strike Witches*, e.g. Mari Mite, which averages 1 pants / season yet has a rather low Strike Witchosity.  
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## 2 answers
### Answer by username_4 on 2016-05-17. Score: 2 | Accepted answer
I'm not an expert on Japanese culture but if I had to guess, there are some symbolism involved.

1) A pocket watch became popular after World War I and it was one of the expensive items being imported into Asian countries. It was valuable and was something that can be inherited.

2) A watch symbolizes time; past, present, and future. It represents the character's past (usually dark and sad in anime), present (struggles) and future (final goal, whether it's a bright one or inevitable death.)

That's what I think.
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### Answer by username_5 on 2016-05-18. Score: 0
In addition to what monty\_bean said, a watch does show the symbolism of time, but it's far more significant with a pocket watch, which can have more meaning, such as the engraving on the watch in FMA.

A wristwatch just does not carry the same emotional gravity that a pocket watch does; it would register more as just a fashion accessory or something to tell the time with. The significance of the watch itself wouldn't be nearly as present.
---
