Why you need a watch to tell the direction?
Though modern GPS units have made navigating the wilderness easier, many experts recommend the tried-and-true method of a compass and map for navigating the backcountry, or, at the very least, they suggest it as a backup to an electronic navigation system.
But what if you find yourself in an extremely unlucky situation where your compass becomes lost or broken and rescuers won’t know where to find you? There’s the old moss trick, of course. But that’s fairly unreliable. In fact, your wristwatch can help you find the direction.
How to use watch to tell the direction?
Lay the watch flat and face-up in your palm so that its face is parallel with the ground. Point the hour hand in the direction of the sun. Turn the watch, your hand, or your entire body so that the hour hand of your watch is pointing directly at the sun. The time on the watch doesn’t matter, as long as it’s accurate.
Then south should be located approximately between the hour hand and the twelve o’clock marker. Before noon, you’ll need to measure clockwise from the hour hand; in the afternoon, measure counterclockwise from the hour hand. So, for example, if it’s four o’clock in the afternoon, point the hour hand at the sun, and south should be located at the two o’clock marker. If it’s noon, the hour hand will be pointing south.
If you are in the south hemisphere, do the exact same steps but instead point the 12 index towards the sun.
Things you should remember
Remember this method only works during the daytime when the sun is visible. It also will only work in the temperate zone, as the closer you get to the equator, the harder it is to discern the movement of the sun. Also be mindful of daylight savings time. If you’re currently practicing it (i.e. during the summer months), either set the hour hand back one hour or use the midway point between one o’clock and the hour hand instead.
If you are wearing a digital watch, you can estimate direction by imaging the approximate placement of the watch hour hand and also the 12 index position.
A watch can not only tell the time but also tell you the direction, sometimes it counts for something. So it will be worth buying a watch or starting your watch business.