Maybe I'm just less popular than your friend (or have better filters set up for my notifications), because on average I look at my watch maybe three or four times an hour. On the other hand, even with no phone or watch around, I will break eye contact in a conversation several times a minute, as do plenty of other people I know. At least for me, life is always full of potential distractions regardless of whether there are devices around, so focus is something that requires energy, which means I plan around when I have it for spending time with people. I'm skeptical that if I got transported back to medieval times or whatever that I'd be able to spend all day interacting with people without being similarly "disruptive".
