diff --git a/crates/core/src/watcher/file_watcher.rs b/crates/core/src/watcher/file_watcher.rs
index 001a391..c80aec5 100644
--- a/crates/core/src/watcher/file_watcher.rs
+++ b/crates/core/src/watcher/file_watcher.rs
@@ -1,2 +1,226 @@
-pub struct FileWatcher {/* TODO */}
+use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
+use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
+
+use crossbeam_channel::{bounded, Receiver, Sender};
+use notify::{Event, EventKind, RecommendedWatcher, RecursiveMode, Watcher};
+
+use crate::error::Result;
+
+// ─── FileEvent ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub enum FileEvent {
+    Appended { new_size: u64 },
+    Truncated { new_size: u64 },
+    Rotated { new_inode: u64 },
+}
+
+// ─── get_inode ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+#[cfg(unix)]
+fn get_inode(path: &Path) -> std::io::Result<u64> {
+    use std::os::unix::fs::MetadataExt;
+    Ok(std::fs::metadata(path)?.ino())
+}
+
+#[cfg(not(unix))]
+fn get_inode(_path: &Path) -> std::io::Result<u64> {
+    Ok(0) // rotation detection not supported on non-Unix
+}
+
+// ─── WatchState ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+struct WatchState {
+    last_size: u64,
+    last_inode: u64,
+}
+
+// ─── FileWatcher ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+pub struct FileWatcher {
+    rx: Receiver<FileEvent>,
+    _watcher: RecommendedWatcher,
+}
+
+impl FileWatcher {
+    pub fn watch(path: &Path) -> Result<Self> {
+        let (tx, rx): (Sender<FileEvent>, Receiver<FileEvent>) = bounded(100);
+
+        let initial_size = std::fs::metadata(path)?.len();
+        let initial_inode = get_inode(path).unwrap_or(0);
+        let state = Arc::new(Mutex::new(WatchState {
+            last_size: initial_size,
+            last_inode: initial_inode,
+        }));
+        let watch_path: PathBuf = path.to_path_buf();
+
+        let mut watcher =
+            notify::recommended_watcher(move |res: std::result::Result<Event, notify::Error>| {
+                let event = match res {
+                    Ok(e) => e,
+                    Err(_) => return,
+                };
+
+                match event.kind {
+                    EventKind::Modify(_) | EventKind::Create(_) | EventKind::Any => {}
+                    _ => return,
+                }
+
+                if !event.paths.iter().any(|p| p == &watch_path) {
+                    return;
+                }
+
+                let current_inode = get_inode(&watch_path).unwrap_or(0);
+                let current_size = std::fs::metadata(&watch_path).map(|m| m.len()).unwrap_or(0);
+
+                let mut st = state.lock().unwrap();
+
+                if current_inode != 0 && st.last_inode != 0 && current_inode != st.last_inode {
+                    let _ = tx.send(FileEvent::Rotated {
+                        new_inode: current_inode,
+                    });
+                    st.last_inode = current_inode;
+                    st.last_size = current_size;
+                } else if current_size > st.last_size {
+                    let _ = tx.send(FileEvent::Appended {
+                        new_size: current_size,
+                    });
+                    st.last_size = current_size;
+                    st.last_inode = current_inode;
+                } else if current_size < st.last_size {
+                    let _ = tx.send(FileEvent::Truncated {
+                        new_size: current_size,
+                    });
+                    st.last_size = current_size;
+                    st.last_inode = current_inode;
+                }
+            })?;
+
+        watcher.watch(path, RecursiveMode::NonRecursive)?;
+
+        Ok(Self {
+            rx,
+            _watcher: watcher,
+        })
+    }
+
+    pub fn try_recv(&self) -> Option<FileEvent> {
+        self.rx.try_recv().ok()
+    }
+}
+
+// ─── SmartFollow ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
 pub struct SmartFollow {/* TODO */}
+
+// ─── Tests ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use std::io::Write;
+    use std::thread;
+    use std::time::Duration;
+
+    fn collect_events(watcher: &FileWatcher, timeout_ms: u64) -> Vec<FileEvent> {
+        let mut events = Vec::new();
+        let deadline = std::time::Instant::now() + Duration::from_millis(timeout_ms);
+        while std::time::Instant::now() < deadline {
+            if let Some(e) = watcher.try_recv() {
+                events.push(e);
+            }
+            thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(50));
+        }
+        // final drain
+        while let Some(e) = watcher.try_recv() {
+            events.push(e);
+        }
+        events
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_watcher_append() {
+        let dir = tempfile::tempdir().expect("create temp dir");
+        let path = dir.path().join("test.log");
+
+        std::fs::write(&path, b"hello\n").expect("write initial");
+
+        let watcher = FileWatcher::watch(&path).expect("start watcher");
+
+        {
+            let mut f = std::fs::OpenOptions::new()
+                .append(true)
+                .open(&path)
+                .expect("open for append");
+            f.write_all(b"world\n").expect("append data");
+        }
+
+        let events = collect_events(&watcher, 1000);
+        let appended: Vec<&FileEvent> = events
+            .iter()
+            .filter(|e| matches!(e, FileEvent::Appended { .. }))
+            .collect();
+        assert!(
+            !appended.is_empty(),
+            "should detect append event, got: {events:?}"
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_watcher_truncate() {
+        let dir = tempfile::tempdir().expect("create temp dir");
+        let path = dir.path().join("test.log");
+
+        std::fs::write(&path, b"hello world this is a long line\n").expect("write initial");
+
+        let watcher = FileWatcher::watch(&path).expect("start watcher");
+
+        // File::create truncates to 0 bytes
+        let _ = std::fs::File::create(&path).expect("truncate file");
+
+        let events = collect_events(&watcher, 1000);
+        let truncated: Vec<&FileEvent> = events
+            .iter()
+            .filter(|e| matches!(e, FileEvent::Truncated { .. }))
+            .collect();
+        assert!(
+            !truncated.is_empty(),
+            "should detect truncate event, got: {events:?}"
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_watcher_idle() {
+        let dir = tempfile::tempdir().expect("create temp dir");
+        let path = dir.path().join("idle.log");
+
+        std::fs::write(&path, b"static content\n").expect("write");
+
+        let watcher = FileWatcher::watch(&path).expect("start watcher");
+
+        thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(300));
+        assert_eq!(watcher.try_recv(), None, "no events on idle file");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_get_inode() {
+        let dir = tempfile::tempdir().expect("create temp dir");
+        let path = dir.path().join("inode_test.txt");
+        std::fs::write(&path, b"test").expect("write file");
+
+        let inode = get_inode(&path).expect("get inode");
+        #[cfg(unix)]
+        assert!(inode > 0, "inode should be positive on Unix");
+        #[cfg(not(unix))]
+        assert_eq!(inode, 0, "inode should be 0 on non-Unix");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_file_event_equality() {
+        let a = FileEvent::Appended { new_size: 100 };
+        let b = FileEvent::Appended { new_size: 100 };
+        assert_eq!(a, b);
+
+        let c = FileEvent::Truncated { new_size: 0 };
+        assert_ne!(a, c);
+
+        let d = FileEvent::Rotated { new_inode: 42 };
+        assert_ne!(a, d);
+    }
+}