There are so many things these days which co-opt and diminish our ability to pay attention and focus, it wouldn’t be all that surprising if it’s also affecting memory.
The book Stolen Focus goes into these issues, but diet, air pollution, smart phones, social media, and instant gratification tired to consumerism all diminish our ability to focus.
You can get a watch repair kit on Amazon that will have the tools to remove the pins between the links.
I’ve also had luck going to a department store with a jewelery counter and seeing if they can make adjustments. Especially if it’s a brand of watch they carry, you can always say someone got it as a gift for you from that chain of stores.