] "After walking several miles in a leisurely manner, and too busy to know any thing about it, they found at last, on examining their watches , that it was time to be at home."

That's very interesting Katherine E.
I'm a little surprised. Could Mr Bennet afford to give all his daughters a watch?
Perhaps only the eldest two? I've always had the impression that watches were rather big in those days. But I suppose Lizzy carried a purse.

Perhaps I'm totally wrong about how common it was, or how
expensive watches were.

Leif Gn