watch back

UK/ˈwɒt͡ʃˌbæk/US/ˈwɑt͡ʃˌbæk/UK/ˌwɒt͡ʃˈbæk/US/ˌwɑt͡ʃˈbæk/

noun

The back cover of a watch.

“When we watched it back, we were satisfied with its quality.”

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Meanings

watch back1

nounwatch back (plural watch backs)

plural watch backs

  1. The back cover of a watch.

    In this video, I'll show you how to remove the watch back without damaging it, so stick around, because some watch backs are especially challenging.

watch back2

verbwatch back (third-person singular simple present watches back, present participle watching back, simple past and past participle watched back)

present singular third person watches back · participle present watching back · participle past watched back · past watched back

  1. ambitransitiveTo watch (an audiovisual presentation) in its recorded form (as a recording), as contrasted with watching it live.

    We then instructed the trainees to watch back the key training videos for the task. We allotted for the several hours that it would take to watch them all back.

    1. ambitransitiveTo do so as part of the video-editing process in videography and cinematography.

      When we watched it back, we were satisfied with its quality.

      1 more example

      When we watched back, we were relieved to find that an average viewer would hardly notice the wind noise.

    2. ambitransitiveTo binge-watch (a TV show).

      She can't wait to watch back the entire season — it's her Saturday night plans for this weekend!

Origin

Coined as inside baseball by video editors. Its use extended from there to TV fans and critics and, in the 2020s, to general use for online meetings, training videos, etc.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

watch back. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/watch%20back

MLA

“watch back.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/watch%20back. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “watch back,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/watch%20back.

Source: watch back on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.