After an EMP or other scenarios that our battery and other devices are useless or maybe unavailable.

Maybe other scenarios I am not yet aware of.

This discussion began in the Disasters in current events/Re: how has the Ukraine affected your prepping.

It began with a hand-winding clock, then to hand-winding watches. Leading to self- winding watches and sun dials.

This, it seems to me like @Majorhavoc mentioned, deserves it own thread where we can begin to gather resources with each other in a not all that unlikely Event as the world is turning at this time.

If it's appropriate for the board I would like to bring those beginning thoughts to this thread.

QuoteI got a wind up clock replacement to conserve on reliance of batteries, both rechargeable and not.

Looking into a wind up watch too.

QuoteWhat you may really be looking for is an "automatic" watch. It's a quaint almost anachronistic term for a selfwinding mechanical watch. I say almost anachronistic because in it's day it eliminated the chore of having to hand-wind one's watch every morning. In that sense evey modern battery powered watch is "automatic", but in the watch industry the nomenclature is reserved for mechanical watches that harness your body movements to wind a traditional mainspring.  This one is on sale at the moment and is a steal at $45:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000JQJS6M?tag=slicinc-20&ascsubtag=40cf2888a52411ecb94f4267e803f3150INT


But another, perhaps better alternative for a post-SHTF watch is comething from Citizen's Eco-Drive line. Technically those are battery powered but the battery is recharged via solar power. Eventually even that solar battery will fail, but we're talking a decade or more.  And the Eco-Drive will be far more accurate than any mechanical watch.

QuoteI looked for a windup wristwatch, but the only ones I found were very expensive. Then looked for a self winding . But that was more than I wanted to spend also. So I ended up buying a Casio quartz / battery watch at Wally world for $19.00. It says the battery lasts ten years.  Has luminous hands and numbers. When I got home , didn't even take it out of the box. Just set the time . Closed the box  back up and wrapped it in four layers of aluminum foil. Instant fall out watch on the cheap.

QuoteIf i may suggest an alternative clock. A simple sun dial in the yard will keep reliable and accurate time. Calculate the correction factor for local noon to sun dial display or better yet adjust the sundial for the correct time and keep the correction factor handy in case the sun dial needs to be reset.

QuoteNot very handy if you are running and gunning alien mutant fallout zombies

QuoteNot very handy if you are running and gunning alien mutant fallout zombies

QuoteSundials are portable.


https://youtu.be/ztrI8yjj_r0

That and if it is the ZPAW the current time will always be "Time to haul ass".

Have two inexpensive wind-up alarm clocks, one from the early 1970's I inherited that has a lot of sentimental value from being the only clock we used at the family cottage for decades while growing up.   Neither has been used in years, just battery operated wall clocks now except for the digital weather alert radio/alarm clock on the nightstand. 

We do use a mechanical kitchen timer on a daily basis for brewing coffee and cooking pasta/rice, there's a timer function on the microwave of course but it (and every other 'always on' device except the weather alert radio) is on a power strip that we turn off when not in use.

It is funny today I have a smartphone that costs about $400 that can tell me where I am am with about a 10 ft accuracy. Call anywhere in the world and keeps time better time than a true chronometer.

If I go back to the 2 years I spent playing on a boat in the 1980's where celestial navigation was necessary (no Loran C coverage, what is GPS? Do you mean transit?) and keeping accurate time was vital. Position fixes on land marks with a compass or radar, depth sounder and a sextent were the tools de jure.  A digital watch was a Godsend for accuracy. The more accurate the time the better the accuracy for a position fix. Accurate time is vital for an accurate longitude fix. Latitude is simple with a noon site. Longitude? No time means no real fix.

I used to tune the SSB to WWV in Ft Collins CO for time ticks to keep the chronometer set to the correct time. https://www.weather.gov/marine/wwv
Now I can just look at the GPS display to update the chronometer...IF I need a celestial fix... which is not likely if the GPS is still working. My celestial navigation skills provide at best a .5 to 1 mile accuracy vs GPS with its 10 foot accuracy.

Obviously that service in a PAW is not likely to be available.

Various watches/clocks are available but I think the most reliable is a sundial combined with a self winding watch or clock. That and a paper calendar.

     https://americasurvival.org/guide/how-to-tell-time-without-a-clock/

One thing to remember ...all watches have to be updated periodically. No watch can be a set and forget type instrument.

Even certified chronometers are assumed to have a variation:

Quote
One of the criteria for « chronometer »  certification is the average daily rate on the first 10 days of testing: from -4 sec to +6 sec., or up to 10 seconds per day.

https://www.cosc.swiss/en/certification/four-types

Now when it is regularly adjusted that variation is nominal. However unadjusted the variation will continue to increase.

So one plan must have a means to verify the time displayed.

BTW attached is a link to convert solar noon to civil time if you have your latitude & longitude. The conversion will vary every day of the year.
http://www.spot-on-sundials.co.uk/calculator.html
   

And a COSC certified chronometer is not the same thing as a chronograph. Although I suppose a mechanical chronograph could be a COSC certified chronometer.  In theory at least, any mechanical watch can be regulated to chronometer accuracy, but that wouldn't make it COSC certified.

Just to thoroughly confuse everybody. 

Quote from: majorhavoc on March 17, 2022, 02:49:05 PM
And a COSC certified chronometer is not the same thing as a chronograph. Although I suppose a mechanical chronograph could be a COSC certified chronometer.  In theory at least, any mechanical watch can be regulated to chronometer accuracy, but that wouldn't make it COSC certified.

Just to thoroughly confuse everybody. 

The key concept that I am trying to get across is that all watches will have to be periodically updated to the correct time. That limitation is something to be aware of when planning for this subject.

Yes, but it will still be 5 o'clock somewhere.     

Quote from: NT2C on March 17, 2022, 03:47:43 PM
Yes, but it will still be 5 o'clock somewhere.     

Indeed it will be five o clock everywhere...twice a day... but not necessarily at the same point during the day.

Quote from: Raptor on March 17, 2022, 03:58:50 PM

Quote from: NT2C on March 17, 2022, 03:47:43 PM
Yes, but it will still be 5 o'clock somewhere.     

Indeed it will be five o clock everywhere...twice a day... but not necessarily at the same point during the day.

As long as the rum holds out, I'm good. 

If there is truly an apocalyptic event that knocks out all time devices...  My time keeping is going to be scrolling the days as they pass with pen/pencil/paper.  Not really going to care if it's 8:17am or 9:03am for breakfast.

There's going to bigger things to worry about at that point imo.


.

Quote from: NapalmMan67 on March 17, 2022, 04:11:54 PM
If there is truly an apocalyptic event that knocks out all time devices...  My time keeping is going to be scrolling the days as they pass with pen/pencil/paper.  Not really going to care if it's 8:17am or 9:03am for breakfast.

There's going to bigger things to worry about at that point imo.


.

That is an excellent point.
However, you will have need a timing device for timing things & events. For instance cooking food.

The key reason IMO for an accurate time +1/-1 minute is for navigation. If you are travelling by any means knowing that you have been enroute for an accurate time will provide distance traveled information. This could be done with a timer or even using knots to keep track of the pace.

Quote from: Raptor on March 17, 2022, 03:36:36 PM

Quote from: majorhavoc on March 17, 2022, 02:49:05 PM
And a COSC certified chronometer is not the same thing as a chronograph. Although I suppose a mechanical chronograph could be a COSC certified chronometer.  In theory at least, any mechanical watch can be regulated to chronometer accuracy, but that wouldn't make it COSC certified.

Just to thoroughly confuse everybody. 

The key concept that I am trying to get across is that all watches will have to be periodically updated to the correct time. That limitation is something to be aware of when planning for this subject.

Absolutely.