How do you use the compass bezel on your watch?

Diomedes Industries

Diomedes Industries

Joined
Mar 19, 2007
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After great advice on this board and trying some out - I just picked up this for 50 bucks shipped:

http://www.timex.com/gp/product/B00...4649?ie=UTF8&m=A1S5XB33AHYRMX&timexBrand=core

It has a VERY cool compass - but - and I have always wondered this - how do you use and when do you use the compass bezel on the outside of the watch?

Thanks for all the advice - I love this thing.

Comfy, water resistant to 100M, good back light, and a compass! Come on! For 50 bucks!

TF
 
My guess is that since the compass only has a marker for north you just rotate the bezel until the bezel lines up with the compass reading. Then you can physically see exactly which direction in where.

EDIT:
Or is that dot around the watch just counting seconds?
 
I think once you establish either N, S, E, or W, you orient the dial to match that direction and then you are able to accurately establish direction based on the dial.

Use a shadow stick to establish your East-west line, then you can use the watch dial.

Hope this made sense. This is the way that I use it.
 
I THINK you take a bearing then turn the bezel so the north marker on the bezel matches the north indicator on the compass.
Then as long as you hold the watch on the same position to your body ie. on your wrist held to the centre of your chest you should be able to follow the heading by keeping north aligned with north like a regular compass.

Make sense? Apparently according to the manual the watch has a heading button, maybe use that. The bezel may be for looks.
 
From www.everything2.com...

"How to use an analog watch as a compass

This isn't the most precise way to orient yourself, but if you really cared about going in exactly the right direction, you'd have brought along a magnetic compass, right?

You'll need:

an analog watch
the sun

Take your watch and point the hour hand toward the sun. It works best if you don't point it directly at the sun, thereby slanting the face of the watch by several dozen degrees; instead, point it in the direction of the location on the surface of the Earth where the sun is directly overhead.

Now you're ready to figure out one of the cardinal directions. Look at the angle formed by the hour hand, the center of the watch and the number 12 (1 if it's Daylight Saving Time). If the time is between 6:00 and 12:00, we're talking about the angle that's more than 180° -- the angle should only contain hours between 12:00 and the current time.

If you're above 23.5° north latitude, the bisector of this angle points south.
If you're below 23.5° south latitude, the bisector of this angle points north.
If you're in the Tropics, it depends on your exact latitude and the time of year. Curry favor with the deity of your choice in case you become lost forever and consequently starve to death.

If you have even a modicum of spatial sense, you should now be able to work out the rest of the directions. Journey forth, pilgrim."

As is stated, this is not ultra precise, but it will get you going in more or less the right direction. However, it does not answer the question as to why a digital watch would have a compass bezel.
 
the compass is digital and I don't trust it for anything. Trust me, don't waste your time. The bezel is basically a visual aid.
 
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