The 24-hour watch has an hour marker for each corresponding hour in the day, from zero to 23. The inspiration of the watch comes from sundials, which don’t allow for separate 12-hour a.m. and p.m. designations. Some older clocks in the world still go by the 24-hour display.
Reading the time on a 24-hour watch is the same as reading on any regular, non-digital timepiece. However, a 24-hour watch has three ticks between each hour, designating every 15 minute intervals.
So who uses these types of watches? Scientists and pilots, for one, use the watches which, in theory, show a whole day at a time. Members of the military also use these watches, as “military time” doesn’t have a.m. or p.m. Another bonus of a 24-hour watch is its ability to mark midnight at the very top at 0 and noon at the bottom, 180 degrees across the face.
The Hamilton 4992b is a great example of a military pocket watch that uses 24 hour timing.
Humans have two hands. Clocks have two hands. Watches have two hands. But what happens when a timepiece only has one ticking in a circle? That’s the concept of the slow watch.
A 24 hour one-hand watch allows you to see the entire day in one view and experience time in natural way. This fundamentally changes the way you look at your watch and it will give you a much better consciousness about the progression of your day.
This way of showing the time is inspired by the original clocks that were based on the sun clock. Those early clocks indeed had only one hand and displayed all 24 hours. You can still see them on some old church towers.
17 Comments
Greg Millard
Wonderful stuff – I have not seen a braile 24 hr watch but I believe the blind would ‘see’ the merit of the design, Greg Millard
Mike Graves
Wow. I had no idea. Thanks, Mark! Another great piece of information!
Michael
Very nice article thanks!
Gaylor
Excellent as always… All the best, -Gaylor
Manh Pham
An interesting article about a one-handed watch. Is it still in use now? One thing I appreciate about this article is that it shows the development of watches through the time process. For athletes who care about setting a record in competitions this kind of watch does not help much. Thank you so much, Mark!
Bob
Thanks Mark. I always learn something from your posts.
Mark Morgan
Great article Thank you Mark
Jack Bair
My favorite has always been the Glycine Airman which came out in 1953 and was popular with Vietnam era pilots. Mark, thank you for another great article!
Johnny
Great article. I set all my watches and clocks (if possible) to 24 hour time, lot less confusing!!!
Miami Mike
Vostok makes 24 hour watches, a friend of mine imports them. Several different dials/cases/colors/straps. I have one, but I prefer the “usual” 12 hour format since it is what I am used to. That white dial steel single handed watch is quite attractive, though, and it would make a great prop in a “near future” sci-fi movie.
Best Regards, keep on ticking!
Jim w.
I think there are European lands which go by a 24 hour clock and would be a market for these.
I just don’t see the point of the one handed watch. I want to know the time, not watch “the progress of my day.”
Gary Gordon
Mark,
You missed the most popular 24 hour watch ever produced, the Glycone Airman. They were the King during Vietnam. Nearly every pilot had one. They were a true 24 hour watch with the ability to display two time zones. We flew our missions on Zulu time (gmt) which we set on the face of the watch which also displayed the date. In the outer locking ring we set local time. It was the perfect watch for pilots and and flight crew. I still wear mine today 50 years later.
Gary Gordon
Glycine Airman, I fat fingered it.
Gary
Gary Gordon
One other thing about the Glycine Airman, was the hack feature. When you pulled the crown, a small pin popped up at the 24hr position which stopped the second hand precisely at the zero second position to allow exact hacking without trying to pull the crown exactly at the corrrect time. I have had my watch serviced every four years and today it is still extremely accurate. Mark read up on them because you will be doing the next servicing.
Gary
Jon Wolfe
I have about a dozen 24 hour watches. I bought abroad in the 1970s a new Tissot 24 hour world timer for $105 and sold it a few years ago for $1500.
doug swanson
I have a 992b it took a little time to get used to it I use it once a month for a week.
Bjorn Arnesen
The only thing that confuses me, especially about the ones with one hand, is how it measures minutes. With a 12 hour clock or watch, one revolution of the second hand is one minute. I ask because sometimes seconds matter.