That's because the watch is an extension of the iPhone and presents the same problem.
Yes the idea of being bored or disinterested by checking one's watch is traditional problem with wristwatches, not so closely related to the smartphone. And yes society will eventually get used to the idea of someone checking their watch for something other than the time. However, while they may give the benefit of the doubt that the user is not simply bored, the net effect is the same. If someone checks their watch to read a notification (outside of an emergency professional on call), there is absolutely no excuse for checking notifications, whether on the watch or the phone. It sends the signal to the people in the room that they are less important than whatever is happening on the watch or phone. And frankly the watch is more obvious than just stealing a glance at a face-up phone that lights up on the table.
Just because society stops associating checking one's watch because they are bored, doesn't make it any more acceptable. And that's the issue, and why it relates to the iPhone. If the OP is seeking acceptance of his Pavlovian behavior to constantly check the notifications on his watch the minute they arrive regardless of the circumstances, because he's not checking the time, then I don't see how it's justified. He's replacing one bad habit with another. I would argue that society in general accepts compulsive phone checking behavior, but they don't condone it, nor generally approve of it. It's just an accepted part of modern life, but still considered rude, and annoying. At least people understood Doctors who got paged during a concert, but it didn't make it any less rude or annoying. But then, businessmen started wearing pagers, and many others who did not need to be in constant connection. When their pagers start going off at concerts, or at dinner, then it became a nuisance. Just like carrying on a conversation on your cell phone in a restaurant, which is still frowned upon, or getting a dozen texts during a dinner with someone, whether you check them or not. The watch at least does one thing, makes the notifications go unnoticed by all but the wearer, so why spoil the positives by then checking it, like you would the phone that would otherwise alert everyone? And if you're really expecting an important notification, then do the polite thing and temporarily favorite the person, or thread, so you only respond to that notification. And then warn people that you're expecting such a notification.
If anything it's the people using the devices that need to modify their behavior.
watch. Society will eventually catch up to this new tech and new rules will be formulated by the Miss Manners of the world to cover situations like this. Until then we just have to be situationally aware of when and how we use our tech.
