If you're lost in the woods or stranded at sea without knowing your way, an analog watch (or similar dial) can act as a compass and show you the way. You will only need an analog (not digital) clock or watch that shows the correct time, as well as a clear view of the sun. See Step 1 below.
Step
Part 1 of 3: In the Northern Hemisphere
Step 1. Position your watch so that it is horizontal (flat on the ground)
You can use this trick anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere during the day when you can see the sun. The watch should be flat on your wrist and facing up. Thus, the face of the clock will be parallel to the ground.
Step 2. Point the hands of your watch toward the sun
Turn your watch, your hand, or your entire body so that the hands of your watch are pointing at the sun. The time your watch shows doesn't matter, as long as it's correct.
If you have trouble orienting your watch exactly to the sun, you can use the help of the shadow of a flat object. Plunge a stick or stick into the ground so that the shadow is clear. Then, make the hands of your watch line up with the shadows. The shadow of an object will be away from the sun, so if you align the hands of your watch with the image of a flat object, it is the same as aligning the hands of your watch with the sun
Step 3. Find the mid-angle between the hour hand and 12 o'clock; This middle marks the south direction
This is the hard part. Find the midpoint of the angle between your watch's hour hand and 12 o'clock. Before 12 o'clock, you should measure clockwise from your watch's clockwise to 12 o'clock. After 12 o'clock, you should measure counterclockwise to the number 12 o'clock. The midpoint between these two signs is South, while the point directly opposite to it is North.
- For example, if your clock is 17 (5pm) and you are pointing the hour hand at the sun, south is exactly between 2 and 3 o'clock, while north is directly opposite this point (between 8 and 9 o'clock).
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Notes:
In Daylight Savings Time, your watch may be an hour past the actual time. Thus, converting the previous 12 o'clock to the benchmark with 1 o'clock before looking for your North-South line.
Part 2 of 3: In the Southern Hemisphere
Step 1. Position your watch so that it is horizontal (flat on the ground)
As in the Northern Hemisphere, you have to take off your watch and place it flat on your hand, somewhere where you can see the sun.
Step 2. Point the number 12 o'clock towards the sun
The main difference between the northern and southern hemispheres when using your watch as a compass is that in the southern hemisphere, you must point 12 o'clock, not hour hand, toward the sun. Changing the orientation of your clock, relative to the sun, is a way to get around the difference in sun orientation between the two hemispheres.
If you're having trouble finding the sun, use the same shading trick mentioned in the Northern Hemisphere above to make sure that your 12 o'clock is pointing straight at the sun
Step 3. Find the mid-angle between the hour hand and the 12 o'clock figure to determine the direction of north
The midpoint of the angle between 12 o'clock and the hour hand of your watch marks North, while the exact opposite point of it is South.
- For example, if your clock shows 9 am, and you point 12 o'clock toward the sun, the midpoint between 10 and 11 o'clock is north. The exact opposite point of this (between the 4 and 5 o'clock digits) is south.
- In Summer Time, you should use 1 o'clock as a benchmark instead of 12 o'clock, as in the Northern Hemisphere.
Part 3 of 3: Determining the Hemisphere You Are In
Step 1. Use the map to determine which hemisphere you are in
The clock compass described in this article uses the position of the sun in the sky to determine north and south. Since the sun is in a different part of the sky in the northern hemisphere (the hemisphere north of the equator) than in the southern hemisphere (the hemisphere south of the equator), you will need to work around this difference to keep your clock compass accurate. It's usually easy to determine whether you're in the northern or southern hemisphere by knowing what country you're in (for example, the southern hemisphere includes nearly all of South America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Australia). If you are in your home country (or near a civilization), you can use maps, globes, or geographic resources on the internet to find your position relative to the equator.
Step 2. Use the North Star to determine which hemisphere you are in
If you do get lost - for example, in a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean, you may not have access to maps, encyclopedias, or the internet. Fortunately, if you're out in the wild and don't know which hemisphere you're in, you can still determine whether you're in the northern or southern hemisphere by looking for Polaris, the North Star, in the sky. This star is visible from the Northern Hemisphere. However, if you are just a little below the equator, this star will not be visible.
Note: The clock compass described in this article works best in fall and spring, and can go wrong near the equator
Tips
- The further away you are from the equator, the more accurate your results will be because the sun will cast longer shadows.
- If it's cloudy or overcast, find an open area as far away from the sun as possible, then grab a stick, stick, ruler, or other straight object. Unless the weather conditions are really severe, subtle shadows will still appear.
- For best results set your clock to the "correct" local time, no setting for Daylight Savings Time.
- You don't need a real watch, you need a watch face. You can draw a clock face on paper and the result will be the same. It has nothing to do with the clock, although you still need to know the time.
- This trick can't be done with a digital watch.
- If you have a digital watch, you can use the previous tip and draw a face. Be careful that you draw the hour digits in the correct place. If needed, wait until the time is a quarter past, half, or exactly at a certain hour.
Warning
- If you are traveling to unknown and possibly dangerous places, you should still know how to use a compass and map properly. This should still be your first priority.
- Buying an expensive item that requires a battery is no guarantee that you don't need this kind of knowledge, which could one day save your life or someone else's if the battery runs out or breaks.
- Quick tricks like these are great, but they shouldn't be your only hanger in a life-threatening emergency.
