Shirley, I went through something similar with my late father, who insisted that I wear a “proper” watch which, yes, told the time and date and that was about it. But looked “elegant.” 🙄
My watch at the time did time, date, timers (multiple), and alarms (sorry, I like watch alarms) while being shockproof and waterproof (the “elegant” watch was neither). Not long after I got an early “smart” watch which could also hold phone numbers and appointments (it connected to a computer using a cable — this was 1991).
Being an ancient boomer (b. 1957!) I knew the watch terminology you had to research because those were the watches I grew up with. Worse, actually, because they required manual winding (turning the crown multiple times in the proper direction) EVERY DAY to stay running. (And despite what your friend thinks, no, each watch wearer maintained their own watches.)
Today I use an Apple Watch. Needs daily recharging, but keeps time to the microsecond and does all the plethora of things smart watches do.
Despite our different tastes in watches, Shirley, you sound like a practical nerd after my own heart. 😊 And yep, language is freakin’ weird!
(Hey! Want to wander down another terminology rabbit hole? Look up why “dashboard” — a display with multiple but related data — started out pre-20th Century as part of a horse-drawn buggy. 🤔)