The Ruling on Praying while wearing Watches that have Pictures and Crosses on Them
Question :
Some watches have pictures of animals inside them; is it permissible to pray wearing them? And also, is it permissible to pray wearing a watch that has a cross on it, or not?
Answer:
If the pictures in the watches are hidden and cannot be seen, then there is no objection to them... but if they are visible either on the face of the watch, or inside it when it is opened, then it is not permissible to pray in them, according to the authentic narration from the Prophet, which states that he said to 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with him:
"Do not leave any picture without wiping it out".
Likewise, it is not permissible to wear a watch which has a cross on it, until it has been scratched off or covered up (with paint) or the like, according to the authentic narrations of the Prophet in which it is reported that he did not see anything in which there was a cross without destroying it, or in another narration, without breaking it.
Source:
Ibn Baz
Fatawa Islamiyah, Vol. 2 Page 170