Timekeeping/telling the time!

[butterbean]

I bought a new watch yesterday from amazon, timex expedition thing with compass, got it for £30 in the sale, I needed a new 1 so thought go for something with that extra bit of practicality to it and this sale and my needs coincided perfectly

[Mr R]

Personally, I haven't worn a watch for years...if I need to check the time, I look at the laptop, the mobile phone or the clock in the car! Recently I have been thinking that this probably isn't ideal...I had a quick search on the bay for wind up watches...they don't seem to be made any more! Do you guys all wear watches? Wind up/battery?

Naturally, I wear a watch - I am far too much of a snob to look at a mobile 'phone to tell the time!

Cheap battery watches: Aldi / Lidl / Wilko's, or similar. Very good watches for £5 - £10 and the battery will generally last 18 months, or so. Also, it is very easy and cheap to change the battery on such watches. I don't recommend buying a battery watch from a a jeweler's, as they (generally) charge a lot more (£40) as they sell 'branded' watches, i.e.: Lorus, and they can be a pain to repair / change the battery.

If you are after a wind-up watch, I strongly recommend going to a flea market. I don't know where you live, but if you find yourself in Torquay, or Totnes, the old boy who attends the flea markets, sells good quality second-hand watches for as little as £5. Again, I don't recommend buying one from a jeweler, as they will almost certainly be expensive.

Hope that this helps.

[Hillybilly444]

A bit OTT?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Oulm-Watch-Me ... 2a34370d62

[munchh]

I think we did this before sometime. !

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=6633
yeah we did.

I've been wearing my MWC watch now for about 6 months and ive already put in my second battery, so its not turned out as good as i hoped, i'm looking for an automatic now, seems the best way to go, although there are some nice auto/solar ones out there but out of my range really.

[nickdutch]

why not just learn how to make a sundial? you just need a magnetic compass and something to work out what direction the sun is in? Ok its a pain on cloudy days, but it can still work for you when there is sun.

[ForgeCorvus]

why not just learn how to make a sundial? you just need a magnetic compass and something to work out what direction the sun is in? Ok its a pain on cloudy days, but it can still work for you when there is sun.

Little bit more to it then that.

As well as it having to point Due north (not Magnetic) the Gnomon( the bit that casts the shadow) has to be presented at the right angle.
This gives you Local time which you then need to apply the Equation of Time and the local time difference* to work out GMT.
Bearing in mind that solar time can be 16 minutes fast to 14 minutes slow

Sorry to Nerd at you, but I've built and installed sundials

*Where I live is 6 minutes and 13 (I think) seconds ahead for example

[junmist]

Try looking for an old pocket watch like a hunter or half hunter they might be a bit pricey but they were built to taken out into the field.

[ForgeCorvus]

Try looking for an old pocket watch like a hunter or half hunter they might be a bit pricey but they were built to taken out into the field.

Cheap, self-winding pocket watch http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Classic-Steam ... 4177b06814
(Interesting version of English in the description)

[grenfell]

I generally don't wear a watch. I used to but having snagged a couple whilst working got fed up of having to restrap them or simply having them getting very scratched I gave up on them (I also had my wedding ring made oversized too so that It comes off easily for pretty much the same reasons) .I did sometimes carry a pocket watch but even gave up on that too. If I was working with others someone else had a watch and if I was on my own then I'd use the one in the van. I've only recently started carrying a mobile too but use that too to tell the time nowadays if I have to.
Time telling has also made me realise I'm turning into my dad. His bedroom clock was always one hour forty minutes fast and the clock in my van and on my phone are also fast ( one hour and twenty in the van ).
I do own watches both battery and windup and also have one of those kinetic jobs that self wind by movements of the arm. Perhaps a bit crude I know bit it got christened "the wank watch"

[QUAID]

G-Shocks (although quite expensive for some models) are a good robust alternative. When it comes to it though, get a watch which has a long battery life and will stand the elements....
at some point it will die, but does it matter?
One important aspect come post SHTF would be calenders.... being able to know when to plant and harvest accurately etc.