I read a Sci-Fi novel back in the early 70’s when I was a teenager that had a main character who possessed a certain skillset and the government wanted him to do something. He refused, so the government froze all his assets, and he could see his ‘credits’ going down to zero on his watch! This was before there was even a digital watch on the market! No Internet, no personal computers, either!
He couldn’t even get into his apartment because his watch was locked out of the ‘system’. He couldn’t even ‘buy’ a cup of coffee at a snack bar because his watch was inoperative until he agreed to do the job.
I wish I could remember the name of the book. It was so prescient......................
The book you’re describing is likely “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress” by Robert Heinlein, first published in 1966.
I’ll have to confirm, to see if it was a watch, I was remembering a bracelet.