Re: clock faces (was: Why not 13 months?)
Theodore John Swystun (tswystun@resrch02.demon.co.uk)
Thu, 10 Aug 95 09:53:26 GMT
In article <40e2dc$9si@phoebe.jpl.nasa.gov>
wmo@wansor.jpl.nasa.gov "Bill Owen" writes:
> In article <plbls.442@puknet.puk.ac.za>, plbls@puknet.puk.ac.za (Smuts, L)
> writes:
> > Do anybody know if a DIVISION OF EIGHT instead of the usual twelve divisions
> > as on a clockface, was ever used on any type of mechanical timekeeping
> > equipment? If so, what was the argument for it?
This is just a shot in the dark, but I suspect that clocks using divisions
of eight might have had a practical application on board naval vessels.
A "watch" or duty shift is composed of eight hours, counted off in "bells".
Three bells refers to the third completed hour of a watch and can therefore
refer to 0300, 1100, or 1900 hrs.
Personally I've never seen a clock like this, but it wouldn't really surprise
me to find out that they exist.
Regards,
Ted Swystun
==[][][][]===================================================================
[][][][] THEODORE J. SWYSTUN
[][][][] 16, Connaught Street, London W2 2AF, United Kingdom
[][][][] tswystun@resrch02.demon.co.uk
==[][][][]===================================================================
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