Is the watch really "symbolic"? I think its role is much more direct: the watch is simply the central plot device in the Butch-related parts of the moviethe watch is simply the central plot device in the Butch-related parts of the movie.
The watch is Butch's prized possession, a token his ancestors went to great lengths to pass on to him -- as Tarantino chose to explain in the movie's very first scene. To Butch, the watch is loaded with sentimental value.
Bruce'sButch's attachment to the watch causes him to go back to his apartment, leading to his confrontations with Vincent Vega and then Marcellus Wallace, which make up the main action of the movie. Any other possession would not have been worth risking all that trouble.
