Watch method: Although it can be off by as much as 24 degrees and
doesn’t work everywhere on the planet, a watch can sometimes be used as
a makeshift compass. If your watch is digital, draw a watch (with hands) on
a circle of paper with the correct time on it and use the following method
to determine your direction.
This method should be used during standard time; in daylight saving
time, the north/south line is found between the hour hand and 1 o’clock.
If it is before noon, use halfway to the right side of the hour hand; if it is
after noon, use halfway to the left of the hour hand.
In the south temperate zone (the area between the Tropic of Capricorn
and the Antarctic Circle), point 12 o’clock toward the sun. Halfway between
the 12 o’clock position and the hour hand will be a north line. During day
light saving time, the north line lies midway between the hour hand and 1
o’clock. Note that this method becomes less accurate the nearer you are
to the equator.
S
12 o’clockSunIf you are in the north temperate zone (the area between the Tropic of Cancer and the
Arctic Circle), point the hour hand of your watch directly at the sun. Then draw an
imaginary line halfway between the hour hand and 12 o’clock. This imaginary line
points south.
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