diff --git a/.changeset/khaki-bananas-hammer.md b/.changeset/khaki-bananas-hammer.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7ab70abe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/khaki-bananas-hammer.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"gill": minor
+---
+
+add `watchAccount` using `unifiedWatcher`
diff --git a/docs/content/docs/react/getting-started.mdx b/docs/content/docs/react/getting-started.mdx
index 8ba10240..7db67420 100644
--- a/docs/content/docs/react/getting-started.mdx
+++ b/docs/content/docs/react/getting-started.mdx
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ import { createSolanaClient } from "gill";
 import { useUpdateSolanaClient } from "@gillsdk/react";
 
 function NetworkSwitcher() {
-  const updateClient = useUpdateSolanaClient();
+  const { mutate: updateClient } = useUpdateSolanaClient();
 
   const switchToMainnet = () => {
     const mainnetClient = createSolanaClient({
diff --git a/packages/gill/src/core/index.ts b/packages/gill/src/core/index.ts
index 5b110869..5bf1d38e 100644
--- a/packages/gill/src/core/index.ts
+++ b/packages/gill/src/core/index.ts
@@ -20,3 +20,6 @@ export * from "./send-and-confirm-transaction-with-signers";
 export * from "./simulate-transaction";
 export * from "./utils";
 export * from "./verify-signature";
+
+export * from "./watchers/unified-watcher";
+export * from "./watchers/watch-account";
diff --git a/packages/gill/src/core/watchers/unified-watcher.ts b/packages/gill/src/core/watchers/unified-watcher.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3593d0e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/gill/src/core/watchers/unified-watcher.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,281 @@
+import { Slot } from "@solana/kit";
+
+export type SubscriptionContext = { slot: Slot };
+
+export type SubscriptionItem<T> = { context: SubscriptionContext; value: T };
+
+export type UnifiedWatcherOptions<TNormalized> = {
+  /**
+   * External AbortController to manage lifecycle.
+   * If omitted, a new controller is created internally.
+   */
+  abortController?: AbortController;
+
+  /**
+   * Maximum number of consecutive WS connection attempts before falling back to polling.
+   */
+  maxRetries?: number;
+
+  /**
+   * Optional error handler for non-fatal errors:
+   * - WS connection failures and retries
+   * - Polling failures
+   * - Stream processing errors
+   */
+  onError?: (e: unknown) => void;
+
+  /**
+   * Handler invoked for each accepted update (after slot de-duplication).
+   */
+  onUpdate: (u: { slot: Slot; value: TNormalized }) => void;
+
+  /**
+   * Polling interval (ms) used when in polling mode.
+   * If omitted or <= 0, periodic polling is disabled (single poll may still run).
+   */
+  pollIntervalMs?: number;
+
+  /**
+   * Delay (ms) between WS connection attempts.
+   */
+  retryDelayMs?: number;
+
+  /**
+   * Maximum time (ms) to wait for WS connection before considering it failed
+   * and proceeding with retry or fallback to polling.
+   */
+  wsConnectTimeoutMs: number;
+};
+
+/**
+ * Defines the strategy for watching a data source.
+ * This is the core logic that the unified watcher uses to subscribe to and process updates.
+ *
+ * @remarks
+ * ### Handling Solana WebSocket RPC Notifications
+ *
+ * The `subscribe` function is responsible for parsing raw WebSocket notifications and yielding
+ * data in a format the watcher can understand. For correct slot-based deduplication, the
+ * watcher expects items in the `SubscriptionItem<{ context: { slot }, value }>` format.
+ *
+ * #### 1. Directly Compatible Subscriptions
+ * The following rpc subscriptions produce a `result` payload that directly matches the `SubscriptionItem` format.
+ * The `subscribe` implementation can typically just yield `notification.params.result`.
+ * - `logsSubscribe` - `@solana/kit` `logsNotificatios`
+ * - `accountSubscribe` - `@solana/kit` `accountNotifications`
+ * - `programSubscribe` - `@solana/kit` `programNotifications`
+ * - `signatureSubscribe` - `@solana/kit` `signatureNotifications`
+ *
+ * #### 2. Adaptable Subscriptions (Requires Transformation)
+ * Non compatible subscriptions require manual transformation into the `SubscriptionItem` format.
+ *
+ */
+export type WatcherStrategy<TRaw, TNormalized> = {
+  /**
+   * Converts a raw WS payload into the normalized value type consumed by onUpdate.
+   */
+  normalize: (raw: TRaw | null) => TNormalized;
+
+  /**
+   * Performs a single poll and emits at most one update via onEmit.
+   * - slot is optional; if omitted, the watcher will synthesize one.
+   * - value should be normalized or null.
+   * Implementations should throw on fatal errors to allow retry/handling upstream.
+   */
+  poll?: (onEmit: (update: { slot?: Slot; value: TNormalized }) => void, abortSignal: AbortSignal) => Promise<void>;
+
+  /**
+   * Starts a WS subscription and returns an async iterable of updates.
+   * Each item can be either:
+   * - SubscriptionItem<TRaw> (preferred): includes context.slot.
+   * - TRaw: raw payload without context; slot will be synthesized by the watcher.
+   */
+  subscribe: (abortSignal: AbortSignal) => Promise<AsyncIterable<SubscriptionItem<TRaw> | TRaw>>;
+};
+
+const attemptSubscription = async <TRaw>(
+  subscribeFn: () => Promise<AsyncIterable<SubscriptionItem<TRaw> | TRaw>>,
+  timeoutMs: number,
+  abortSignal: AbortSignal,
+): Promise<AsyncIterable<SubscriptionItem<TRaw> | TRaw>> => {
+  if (abortSignal.aborted) {
+    throw new Error("Aborted");
+  }
+  const connectPromise = subscribeFn();
+  const timeoutPromise = new Promise<never>((_, reject) =>
+    setTimeout(() => reject(new Error(`ws connect timeout (${timeoutMs}ms)`)), timeoutMs),
+  );
+  return await Promise.race([connectPromise, timeoutPromise]);
+};
+
+const executePoll = async <TNormalized>(
+  poll: (onEmit: (update: { slot?: Slot; value: TNormalized }) => void, abortSignal: AbortSignal) => Promise<void>,
+  onUpdate: (slot: Slot, value: TNormalized) => void,
+  getLastSlot: () => Slot,
+  closedRef: { value: boolean },
+  abortSignal: AbortSignal,
+  onError?: (e: unknown) => void,
+) => {
+  if (closedRef.value) {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  try {
+    const onEmitFromPoll = ({ slot, value }: { slot?: Slot; value: TNormalized }) => {
+      const newSlot = slot ?? getLastSlot() + 1n;
+      onUpdate(newSlot, value);
+    };
+
+    await poll(onEmitFromPoll, abortSignal);
+  } catch (e) {
+    if (!closedRef.value && onError) {
+      onError(e);
+    }
+  }
+};
+
+/**
+ * Creates a unified watcher that manages a WebSocket subscription with a polling fallback.
+ *
+ * A generic utility function that relies on the provided `WatcherStrategy` to handle the specifics
+ * of a data source. The watcher's primary role is to manage the connection lifecycle, handle
+ * retries, fall back to polling, and deduplicate updates based on an advancing slot number.
+ *
+ * @param strategy The strategy that defines how to subscribe to, poll, and normalize data.
+ * @param opts Configuration options for the watcher.
+ * @see {@link WatcherStrategy} for detailed guidance on implementation for Solana RPC subscriptions.
+ */
+export const createUnifiedWatcher = async <TRaw, TNormalized>(
+  strategy: WatcherStrategy<TRaw, TNormalized>,
+  opts: UnifiedWatcherOptions<TNormalized>,
+): Promise<{ stop: () => void }> => {
+  const {
+    pollIntervalMs,
+    wsConnectTimeoutMs,
+    onUpdate,
+    onError,
+    abortController = new AbortController(),
+    maxRetries = 3,
+    retryDelayMs = 2000, // Default to a 2-second fixed retry delay
+  } = opts;
+
+  const closedRef = { value: false };
+
+  let pollTimer: ReturnType<typeof setInterval> | null = null;
+
+  let lastSlot: Slot = -1n;
+
+  const hasPoll = typeof strategy.poll === "function";
+
+  const stop = () => {
+    if (closedRef.value) return;
+    closedRef.value = true;
+    if (pollTimer) clearInterval(pollTimer);
+    abortController.abort();
+  };
+
+  const emitIfNewer = (slot: Slot, value: TNormalized) => {
+    if (slot <= lastSlot) {
+      return;
+    }
+    lastSlot = slot;
+    onUpdate({ slot, value });
+  };
+
+  const singlePoll = () => {
+    if (!strategy.poll) {
+      return Promise.resolve();
+    }
+    return executePoll(strategy.poll, emitIfNewer, () => lastSlot, closedRef, abortController.signal, onError);
+  };
+
+  const startPollingFallback = async () => {
+    if (closedRef.value || !hasPoll) return;
+    await singlePoll();
+    if (closedRef.value) return;
+    if (pollIntervalMs && pollIntervalMs > 0) {
+      pollTimer = setInterval(() => void singlePoll(), pollIntervalMs);
+    }
+  };
+
+  const handleStream = async (stream: AsyncIterable<SubscriptionItem<TRaw> | TRaw>) => {
+    for await (const item of stream) {
+      if (closedRef.value) {
+        break;
+      }
+
+      let slot: Slot;
+      let value: TRaw;
+
+      if (
+        typeof item === "object" &&
+        item !== null &&
+        "context" in item &&
+        typeof item.context === "object" &&
+        item.context !== null &&
+        "slot" in item.context
+      ) {
+        const subItem = item;
+        slot = subItem.context.slot;
+        value = subItem.value;
+      } else {
+        // No context provided by the stream; synthesize a monotonic slot.
+        lastSlot = lastSlot + 1n;
+        slot = lastSlot;
+        value = item as TRaw;
+      }
+
+      emitIfNewer(slot, strategy.normalize(value));
+    }
+  };
+
+  // Main loop: attempts WS connection with retry; falls back to polling after max retries.
+  const run = async () => {
+    let connectAttempt = 0;
+
+    while (!closedRef.value) {
+      try {
+        const stream = await attemptSubscription(
+          () => strategy.subscribe(abortController.signal),
+          wsConnectTimeoutMs,
+          abortController.signal,
+        );
+
+        connectAttempt = 0; // Reset on successful connection.
+
+        // Seed state via a poll (if available) before consuming the stream.
+        if (hasPoll) {
+          await singlePoll();
+        }
+
+        if (closedRef.value) {
+          return;
+        }
+
+        await handleStream(stream);
+
+        if (closedRef.value) return;
+        // If the stream ends naturally, loop to attempt reconnection again.
+      } catch (e) {
+        if (closedRef.value) return;
+
+        onError?.(e);
+
+        connectAttempt++;
+        if (connectAttempt >= maxRetries) {
+          onError?.(new Error(`Failed to connect to WebSocket after ${maxRetries} attempts.`));
+          await startPollingFallback();
+          return; // Exit loop and remain in polling mode.
+        }
+
+        // Fixed-delay retry (could be replaced with exponential backoff).
+        await new Promise<void>((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, retryDelayMs));
+      }
+    }
+  };
+
+  // Start the watcher loop.
+  await run();
+
+  return { stop };
+};
diff --git a/packages/gill/src/core/watchers/watch-account.ts b/packages/gill/src/core/watchers/watch-account.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a4d32e0c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/gill/src/core/watchers/watch-account.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,134 @@
+import {
+  AccountInfoBase,
+  type AccountInfoWithBase64EncodedData,
+  type Address,
+  assertAccountExists,
+  Commitment,
+  MaybeEncodedAccount,
+  parseBase64RpcAccount,
+} from "@solana/kit";
+
+import { SolanaClient } from "../../types/rpc.js";
+import { createUnifiedWatcher, type UnifiedWatcherOptions, type WatcherStrategy } from "./unified-watcher";
+
+type AccountUpdate = {
+  /**
+   * Slot associated with the update. Monotonic and de-duplicated.
+   */
+  slot: bigint;
+  /**
+   * Account info at the given slot, or null if the account does not exist.
+   */
+  value: MaybeEncodedAccount;
+};
+
+type WatchAccountArgs = {
+  /**
+   * Target account address to watch.
+   */
+  accountAddress: Address;
+
+  /**
+   * Commitment level used for both RPC and WS subscription.
+   * Defaults to 'confirmed'.
+   */
+  commitment?: Commitment;
+
+  /**
+   * Maximum number of WS connection retries before falling back to polling.
+   * Defaults to 3.
+   */
+  maxRetries?: number;
+
+  /**
+   * Optional error callback for non-fatal failures.
+   */
+  onError?: (e: unknown) => void;
+
+  /**
+   * Update handler receiving { slot, value }.
+   */
+  onUpdate: (u: AccountUpdate) => void;
+
+  /**
+   * Poll interval (ms) when in polling mode. Defaults to 5000.
+   */
+  pollIntervalMs?: number;
+
+  /**
+   * Delay (ms) between WS connection retries. Defaults to 2000.
+   */
+  retryDelayMs?: number;
+
+  /**
+   * RPC client for HTTP requests.
+   */
+  rpc: SolanaClient["rpc"];
+
+  /**
+   * RPC subscriptions (WS) client used to subscribe to account notifications.
+   */
+  rpcSubscriptions: SolanaClient["rpcSubscriptions"];
+
+  /**
+   * Timeout (ms) for initial WS connection attempts. Defaults to 8000.
+   */
+  wsConnectTimeoutMs?: number;
+};
+type Base64EncodedRpcAccount = AccountInfoBase & AccountInfoWithBase64EncodedData;
+
+/**
+ * Watches a Solana account for changes.
+ *
+ * This function builds on the unified watcher and provides a resource-specific
+ * strategy for accounts. It tries WS subscription first and falls back to HTTP
+ * polling when needed.
+ *
+ * @param args - Arguments to configure the account watcher.
+ * @returns A function to stop the watcher.
+ */
+export const watchAccount = async ({
+  rpc,
+  rpcSubscriptions,
+  commitment = "confirmed",
+  pollIntervalMs = 5000,
+  wsConnectTimeoutMs = 8000,
+  accountAddress,
+  onUpdate,
+  onError,
+  maxRetries,
+  retryDelayMs,
+}: WatchAccountArgs) => {
+  const strategy: WatcherStrategy<Base64EncodedRpcAccount, MaybeEncodedAccount> = {
+    normalize: (raw) => {
+      const parsed = parseBase64RpcAccount(accountAddress, raw);
+      return parsed;
+    },
+    poll: async (onEmit, abortSignal) => {
+      const { context, value } = await rpc
+        .getAccountInfo(accountAddress, { commitment, encoding: "base64" })
+        .send({ abortSignal });
+      const parsedAccount = parseBase64RpcAccount(accountAddress, value);
+      assertAccountExists(parsedAccount);
+      onEmit({ slot: context.slot, value: parsedAccount });
+    },
+    subscribe: async (abortSignal) => {
+      return await rpcSubscriptions
+        .accountNotifications(accountAddress, { commitment, encoding: "base64" })
+        .subscribe({ abortSignal });
+    },
+  };
+
+  const opts: UnifiedWatcherOptions<MaybeEncodedAccount> = {
+    maxRetries,
+    onError,
+    onUpdate,
+    pollIntervalMs,
+    retryDelayMs,
+    wsConnectTimeoutMs,
+  };
+
+  const { stop } = await createUnifiedWatcher(strategy, opts);
+
+  return stop;
+};