[Coda]

Actually a number of smartwatches do have onboard music playback these days. It's considered a desirable feature in a "sport" watch because they're designed to let you not have to lug your phone around when you're out for a run.

And if you leave your phone in the pocket of your coat / in your locker / whatever (I can't imagine you're required to leave your phone at home, that sounds excessive) then whenever you're close enough to it you can still check your text messages.

I do recognize that smartwatches can be a bit on the expensive side, especially if you want one with music playback. I personally consider it worth the investment for jobs like yours.