As a retired medic, Apple Watch just doesn’t do this very well, and the default displays I’ve tried will all mask the seconds.
I’ve used the stopwatch app, counting up, which is clunky, but works.
Asking Siri for a countdown is probably the best available option, and the one I’ve most commonly used, and it works with gloves. “Hey Siri, set a timer for 30 seconds.” Then find the pulse, and count for 20 seconds. Etc. Requires cellular coverage, and not so great with ambient noise. But works, and works hands-free.
There may well now be some pulse-counting apps available in the app store now, I’ve not gone looking for those in a while.
Cheap carabiner-style watches placed on the kit bags, and a big clock mounted on the back wall of the ambulance helped avoid this whole problem, as getting my wrist visible wasn’t always practical. Particularly given my preferred gloves covered further up the wrist, and given the use of turnouts or other protective gear. And if one of the carabiner watches gets contaminated, toss it. Or wrap the carabiner watches in plastic film, and avoid that.
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