How to Use a Watch as a Compass

Even with the advent of advent of modern technology, many people consider wristwatches to be valuable tools. Movement complications often allude to features, but that’s not always the case. Your watch and do more than just tell the time! Did you know that it can be used as a compass? Here’s how.

It’s important to note the following:

• Your watch doesn’t need to have a compass bezel (like our M-Force AC0N). It certainly helps for clarity sake, but not a requirement.
• You will need to ignore daylight saving time. These instructions only work if the watch is set to non-daylight saving time.
• You will need to be in an area where you can clearly see the sun.

Here’s how to do it if you are located in the northern hemisphere.

1. Take your watch off and hold it flat and dial side up.
2. Position your watch so that twelve o’clock is facing left and the hour hand is in the direction of the sun.
3. True south will be located right between the hour hand and twelve o’clock. If your watch has a compass bezel, you can rotate the bezel so that the south marker is in the middle.
4. If it happens to be after 12PM, then you would measure true south in a clockwise manner.

Here’s how to do it if you are located in the southern hemisphere. It’s a little bit backwards.

1. Take your watch off and hold it flat and dial side up.
2. Position your watch so that twelve o’clock is facing left and the hour hand is in the direction of the sun.
3. True north will be located right between the hour hand and twelve o’clock. If your watch has a compass bezel, you can rotate the bezel so that the north marker is in the middle.
4. If it happens to be after 12PM, then you would measure true north in a clockwise manner.