How to Sign “Watch” in ASL: The Verb, the Wristwatch, and Signing Clearly on Camera

The English word “watch” has two common meanings, and American Sign Language (ASL) uses a different sign for each. Before you practice, decide which one you mean: watching something, such as a movie or a game, or a watch you wear on your wrist. This guide covers both in ASL, the sign language most widely used in the US, and then explains how to check that the sign is visible on a video call.

The short answer

• Watch (to look at or observe): make a V handshape with your dominant hand, palm facing down and fingertips pointing forward. Start near your eyes and move your hand forward toward whatever is being watched.
• Watch (the wristwatch): place a small circle, made with your thumb and index finger, on the back of your non-dominant wrist where a watch face would sit.
• Do not confuse the wristwatch sign with TIME. TIME is a tap of your dominant index finger on the back of your non-dominant wrist, as if pointing at a watch.

Signs vary by region, by community, and between individual signers, so you may see small differences in handshape or movement. No dictionary or instructor source was supplied for this article. If accuracy matters, such as for teaching, interpreting or a formal presentation, confirm the sign with a reputable ASL dictionary or a Deaf ASL instructor.

Signing “watch” as a verb, step by step

• 1. Form a V with your index and middle fingers, and fold your other fingers down with your thumb.
• 2. Turn your palm toward the floor so the two fingers point forward, away from your body.
• 3. Bring your hand up near your eyes. The two fingers represent your line of sight.
• 4. Move your hand forward in the direction of what you are watching. If the thing is to your left or on a screen in front of you, point the movement that way.
• 5. To show watching for a long time, such as a long show, signers often hold the sign or repeat the movement. Facial expression also adds meaning.

Direction carries meaning in ASL. Moving the sign toward a place, person or object shows what is being watched, so you rarely need a separate word for “at.”

Signing “watch” as a wristwatch, step by step

• 1. Hold your non-dominant arm in front of you, palm down, so the back of your wrist faces up.
• 2. With your dominant hand, touch the tips of your thumb and index finger to form a small circle. Keep the other fingers relaxed or extended.
• 3. Place that circle on the back of your non-dominant wrist, as if it were the watch face.

If you want to ask what time it is rather than name the object, use TIME (the index-finger tap on the wrist) with a questioning facial expression.

Making the sign readable on a video call

Once you know the sign, the camera setup determines whether the other person can read it. Three separate things have to work. The browser or app needs permission to use the camera. The camera has to actually capture a picture. And the image has to be clear enough for hand shapes and movement to be seen. A working camera light or preview tells you about the first two, but not the third.

• Framing: keep your head, shoulders and upper body in view, with room above your head and to both sides. The verb sign starts near your eyes and moves forward, and the wristwatch sign happens around chest height, so a tight face-only crop can cut off part of either sign.
• Distance: sit far enough back that your hands stay in frame when they move toward the camera.
• Lighting: light your face and hands from the front. A bright window behind you can make your hands appear as dark silhouettes.
• Physical background: a plain wall that contrasts with your skin tone and clothing makes hand shapes easier to see. Avoid busy patterns behind your hands.
• Virtual backgrounds and blur: these software effects try to separate you from the room, and they can blur, clip or hide fast-moving hands and fingers. If signs look smeared or partly erased in your preview, turn the effect off and use a real plain background instead.
• Clothing: solid colors that contrast with your hands are usually easier to read than prints.

How to check the result

• 1. Open your camera preview or self-view and sign both versions of “watch” at normal speed.
• 2. Check that the whole movement stays in frame, from the start near your eyes to the end of the forward motion.
• 3. Look for blur, frozen frames or parts of your hand disappearing. Smearing during movement often points to low light or a background effect. Freezing usually points to the connection or the device.
• 4. Remember that many apps show you a mirrored self-view while others see the unmirrored image. Your left and right may look reversed to you, but that is normal and does not change the sign for the viewer.
• 5. If you can, record a short clip or ask someone on a test call whether they can read the sign. That is the most reliable way to confirm call quality, not just that the camera is on.

Limitations of this guide

No measured camera settings, product recommendations or source-verified sign references were available for this guide. The sign descriptions follow commonly taught ASL forms. Other sign languages, such as British Sign Language, use different signs, so this guide does not apply to them.