In Fullmetal Alchemist, what does a State Alchemist's pocket watch do? In Fullmetal Alchemist, it is stated a number of times that a state alchemist's pocket watch increases their power, but there doesn't seem to be a clear mechanism for that. How does that work, and what does increasing the power of an alchemist mean?
As stated in this wiki,


  ...each State Alchemist is given a silver pocketwatch to
  hold as identification. This watch is engraved with the symbol of the
  State Alchemist program - the Amestrian Dragon circumscribed in a
  hexagram (though both anime series alter the hexagram to a nondescript
  polygram, presumably so as not to invoke Judaism). Although the manga
  does not describe the pocketwatch as anything more than official proof
  that the carrier is a State Alchemist, the 2003 anime suggests that
  each pocketwatch is an alchemical amplifier. The 2003 anime also
  depicts the watch's silver chain as extendable, as in the instance
  when the Strong Arm Alchemist, Major Alex Louis Armstrong uses it to
  tie up a target.


So, according to the 2003 anime, the watch amplifies the alchemist's powers. However, both manga and FMA:Brotherhood shows that the watch is simply a form of identification, much like a police badge. 

Also note that in the anime the watch is the indicator which people use to recognize Edward as a State Alchemist. I believe that unless the State Alchemist himself tells you who he is, the presence of the watch is the only other way to know it (they also get a certificate, but I doubt they carry it around).