HOW do I get the "watch" to stay on and not shut off on my 6th GEN NANO?

Shut off what "mechanisms"? The mechanism on the iPod Nano (NOT "iPod Watch Nano) that uses the most power is the screen. Even dimmed it would not save a significant amount of battery life. And the other "mechanisms" aren't running when you aren't playing music or listening to a podcast. There is not a nano-sized little DJ in there spinning turntables.

No, it is an iPod first and foremost.

@deggie - would like to see you calculation 🙂

also, I counted to 2 before the face appeared

<heresy>

take out the accelerometer

that the marketing dept put there

and add more battery

</heresy>

Try restoring your Nano, should not take that long. If it persists get it serviced.

If you can be as OCD as I can just set the screen and keep pressing the sleep button just before it goes to sleep. I did.

The accelerometer does not add much space and takes little power. And far, far more people use it than the watch function.

Add more battery would be the only thing that would make a significant difference. If you put a battery about twice the size of the iPod Touch battery you should be able to keep the screen on for 24 hours and then recharge it for 3 - 4 hours. Of course that will make for a very large watch.

Battery technology just has not kept up with the new features of devices and new screen technology. A breakthrough is needed and it isn't here yet.

top man for keeping pressing that button!

still, 20% extra is significant, did you try with white face and black face displays?

re: accelerometer, i was talking about the space tbh, though I reserve the right to doubt 'far, far more'

but then I am a sedentary git, perhaps I shouldn't judge

also don't tend to look at my watch whilst asleep, 12h battery would be amazing (my steam-punk nokia phone will last on standby for 5 days, but then it's only 'touch' feature is that it can be used to hit assailants in a way that unambiguously determines the outcome of a fight)

20%? It is about 10 minutes.

Go ahead and doubt all you want. And the accelerometer does not take that much space.

Your Nokia lasts that long because it has a much larger battery AND for the most part the screen is off. And does you Nokia have an LCD or a backlit LED screen?

12 hours with the LED constantly on would be amazing.