The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word EYED
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
E
Y
E
D
More clues leading to the result EYED
- Like some spuds? I had to speak
- Looked at some grey edifices
- Surveyed? Not half!
- Observed envoy on vacation with newsman
- Having cockney’s mince pies — his stash, by the sound of it?
- I'd heard and observed
- Observed freshwater fish, so to speak
- I had to be listened to and watched
- Looked at king-dismissing clue with my boss?
- They say the writer had checked out
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Kept watch on" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case kept watch on = eyed.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does EYED mean?
EYED verb- To observe carefully or appraisingly.
- To appear; to look.
- Having eyes.
- Having eye-like spots.
- (in compounds) Having the specified kind or number of eyes.