I'm glad that OP got the watch back, and hope that there is something happening behind the scenes as a result.
Originally Posted by
Comcerneddisabledflier
I have a colostomy and I have found that you can set up special screening ahead of time by contacting the tsa customer relations chief at the airport you're flying out of. Arranging for special screening due to disability might enable you to keep your belongings in sight at all times.
While
you may prefer a private screening, many people do not. I see a private screening as opening up an entirely new set of circumstances which could have just as bad or worse of an outcome.
Most times when my approved medical device results in extra screening at the checkpoint, I am still unable to touch my items and sometimes am unable to see my items.
And the end result in this case may well have been because there was a realization that there were cameras and passengers who could have been witnesses. With a private screening, it isn't the same.