Hell, I didn't even know that a watch was for anything except use as a target when re-living "there I was" stories.
I think the issue is that fighter guys have spent hundreds/thousands of hours flying without any kind of automation, and developing muscle memory and sight pictures that fit those airplanes and those flying environments. Thus when they get to the airlines (where automation use is standard), it requires a complete re-programming of the thought process of flying. Plus, pointy-nose guys don't have any consideration for pax comfort, or keeping shallow bank and climb/descent angles, etc, when flying dark gray airplanes. There, too, requires some re-progamming in terms of how to get the airplane in the position where you want it while maneuvering a lot less.
121 initial training cycles are focused on automation use and learning procedures for the new airplane's toys specifically. Speaking as one of those guys experiencing this, it is very frustrating to not be able to first become comfortable with handling the airplane manually throughout the operational regime before learning the automation. It is frustrating to have SOPs that require autothrottle use from brake release to DH, and require some kind of FD, FGS, or AP use, because it doesn't ever let us really learn how to fly the airplane manually first. I understand why those policies exist...just pointing out what those policies mean in terms of limitations to forming new skills to replace old ones.
I've related this story before, but when I was getting my B300 type a few years ago, my general response to the standard "what's it doing now?" of setting up the MCDU or sorting through the various AP modes was to just click off the autopilot and hand fly it. After a sim or two of doing this, the instructor kindly froze the sim, kneeled between the seats, and calmly said, "look...I know you know how to fly. I'm not trying to teach you to fly. I'm trying to teach you how to use this airplane's systems, and if you keep turning them off, you are missing the whole point of why we are here." While that made sense, I was frustrated because "learning how to fly this airplane" doesn't exclusively mean being able to fly it using the FGS or FMS. You have to be a maestro at hand flying it equally as well as you do using all the other levels of automation, and without an opportunity to practice that, it is just not possible.
121 training programs -- from my little exposure and from what I have heard from my former squadron brethren -- are largely the same; because of the fundamental safety and efficiency advantages offered by automation use, that's what is taught front and center, with barely a thought given to how to hand fly. Again, I completely understand why that is, but it does somewhat limit learning the other skills needed.
So no kidding fighter guys suck at hand-flying an airplane which they've never had the opportunity to get a real feel for with their hands, and which they're handcuffed to 20 degrees of bank and 3 degrees of descent and all the other trappings of airline flying. It is hard to un-do that much muscle memory and thought process without some new experiences to replace that muscle memory.
On the flip-side, I've seen similar circus acts putting highly experienced airline pilots in the seat of the T-38 sim, and watching them try to herd the airplane around like a cow with 30 degrees of bank and being frustrated that there's no autopilot. Many of them gave me dog-watching-TV looks when I'd say things like, "roll to set your lift vector, and pull!"
Fortunately airmanship is portable and largely unrelated to the monkey-skills of stick-and-rudder. Monkey skills can be easily learned given the opportunity, even if it is an embarrassing road to get there.
