Fake compass on wristwatch
 

Does anyone know what the compass looking thing on some wristwatches is for? You can manually spin it around, so I don't know how it would be used like you want it to be.

If no one knows what I am talking about I can try to find a picture, but my watch has this thing on it, and it bugs me since I don't know what it is for.

Any ideas?

do you mean the clicky ring that is around the face?

that is so you can set it to a certain number of minutes ahead so you can use it to remember what time you had to do something

least thats what ive used em for...

JStrider is correct.

Yeah, thats the thing, but mine has the minutes in addition to compass directions (i.e. N, S, E W)

How water resistant is your watch? I don't know the precise function, but I believe that those rings have use for scuba diving. It would seem you might be able to assign direction to an underwater landmark, etc - but someone else more schooled in scuba could probably give more details on the function.

You know I bet you are right. It is a "Relic Wet" watch. Says it goes to 165 feet. Thanks a lot.

If anyone actually knows how to use the thing properly, I would be interested to know that as well.

I have one watch where the ring is for minutes, but another one where the ring is set to degrees (0-360). The minute one doesn't turn very easily, so I think it's mostly for decoration. The degrees/compass one spins around and clicks, I mostly just use it for something to do besides twirl a pen or drum my fingers when I'm in a meeting.

Would be interesting to find out what the hell it's for though.

/me fires up google

http://www.geocities.com/watch_crazy...ss/compass.htm


Using the Compass Ring on a wristwatch

Created 10-10-2001
Updated 08-01-2002

Background
A watch equipped with a Compass Ring may be used to find the direction during daylight hours.
A compass ring will be calibrated with the directions of the compass "N", "S", "E", and "W" for North, South, East, and West. There may be intermediate calibrations and some compass rings will have degree markings.

A watch with a timing bezel may also be used if you substitute the numbers at "0", "15", "30", and "45" for the directions North, East, South, and West respectively.

The method described here is not particular to any specific watch and can be applied to all watches with a compass ring.

Finding direction in the morning hours (sunrise to noon)

A - Point the Hour hand at the sun.
B - Rotate the compass ring until S (South) is half way between the hour hand and 12:00.

C - The correct directions are shown on the dial.

Finding direction in the afternoon hours (noon to sunset)

A - Point the Hour hand at the sun.
B - Rotate the compass ring until S (South) is half way between the hour hand and 12:00.

C - The correct directions are shown on the dial.



Note: Adjust the compass ring every hour to reflect changes in the sun's position.
When reading the compass direction ring, make certain that the hour hand is always pointed towards the sun.
When the hour hand is at 12:00 noon, S (South) should also be at 12:00.

Hold on - how are these any different? It would seem that you could point E at the sun in the morning, and W at the sun in the afternoon and get things straight...will this not work? Interesting information though...

They shouldn't be different, at any time of the day you can point the hour hand at the sun and south will be roughly halfway between the hour hand and 12:00. Roughly.

I wear a Seiko Black Monster 200m Diver's watch. The ratcheting bezel is to measure the amount of time you've spent submerged.

It's just the text from the link. I don't actually know anything. :)

I always just used it as kind of a makeshift timer....point the arrow at the minute hand, see how many minutes elapse...

Well SaltPork is correct. I have a blatant rip of a Blue Angels' watch and it has all these things. What makes it really complicated are these makeshift slide-rules that they put on watches. I'm sorry but I don't think I will need to know the logarithm of 4 or how many miles my imaginary plane can travel given specific weights of the plane and remaining fuel when I am lost in the woods... or just have my calculator present.

The rotating bazel is for keeping track of down time while scuba diving. Set the 0 where your minute hand is pinting and you can keep track of how long you're underwater (very important while scuba diving). You could use it for timing almost anything.

everyone keeps talking about the minutes and timing your time underwater. That was not my question. It was with the N, S, E, W directions.

Thanks for that website though.

I think that is really for decoration, or for really stupid people who can't remember which way is up. Most SCUBA divers don't use the bezel anymore because they rely on their dive computers. But when using life sustaining equipment, backup is always good. I dive with a digital watch, so I have never bothered with the bezel.

No, the hour hand and 12 o'clock thing is right. I just wanted you to know that it is only to be used for emergency situations only, and for rough orienteering only.

Only when totally farking lost and to avoid walking in circles. The sun needs to be bright, not overcast.

And the North Star needs to be checked and referred to every night.

Personally, I think that if you don't have a map and compass you should be bear food. Your stupidity should be waved high and proud as a signal for others that says "Don't Do This"

Yep, that's the love I come back to the old TFP for ;)

/if you can't fuck 'em, fuck 'em

That is because there are different types of rings on different watches depending on what the watch is for. Someone is yet to post about another common function, the tachymeter.