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I think a huge percentage of gen A can’t read an analog clock or watch and they’re all on the internet. He’s asking how to improve on reading one with zero numbers or markers

My daughter is “gen a” — as I’ve learned after looking it up ;)

She learned how to read a clock in school in kindergarten or grade 1. I remember the worksheets
 
My daughter is “gen a” — as I’ve learned after looking it up ;)

She learned how to read a clock in school in kindergarten or grade 1. I remember the worksheets
Dang, that’s great! I know a few teachers and it’s always bad news from them
 
Check out the app Roughly. It adds a complication that gives you the rough time in words (10 til 9, quarter past five, etc).

I use it with most of my “not at work” watch faces when the exact time isn’t necessary. It’s great for that, but I bet would also help you check your own estimates and practice.

Screenshot is my sleep face (for any of our detail-oriented friends, walkie talkie is on because I just changed the face rather than setting the focus)

View attachment 2397672
I just tried it, and it works.

Thanks.
 
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I’ve tried this too… my Apple Watch died ages ago and since then I’ve tried to tell the time using it without numbers, marks and obviously no hour or minute hands either.

It’s been a challenge for sure. But now and again I manage to get the time right once a day. I’ve done this by saying, it’s 5 pm, home time.

Unfortunately I’ve since been sacked from my job for not turning up and leaving on time, and struggled to meet up with friends and family etc

But the great thing is, the watch has lasted over a year since the last charge and no longer requires updates etc
 
... and why the hour hand is significantly smaller than the minute hand is beyond my understanding.

the minute hand has sixty gradients as opposed to merely twelve. being longer allows it to reach closer to the circumference for a more precise reading

If they were the same size there would be no way to distinguish them
 
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Haha. True. It takes a bit to load sometimes when I switch faces; it runs off an iPhone app, which seems to create the delay. For this pic I swapped and immediately took the screenshot.
Ah, ok :)
I noticed that delay between watch and phone as well. The display for rings progress is often a fair bit behind on my phone.
 
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Check out the app Roughly. It adds a complication that gives you the rough time in words (10 til 9, quarter past five, etc).

I use it with most of my “not at work” watch faces when the exact time isn’t necessary. It’s great for that, but I bet would also help you check your own estimates and practice.

Screenshot is my sleep face (for any of our detail-oriented friends, walkie talkie is on because I just changed the face rather than setting the focus)

View attachment 2397672

Five past three?

Edit: never mind. I’ve just read the other comments about this.
 
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Is this a serious question?

How old are you?

Edit: I’m not trying to be a jerk. I’m just honestly blown away that someone who is able to be on the internet can’t read a watch

But they CAN read a traditional watch face.
They just find it harder when there are no markers whatsoever, which is frankly not all that remarkable.
As many others have said, it is all down to practice and habit, although I personally don’t use watch faces without markers precisely because at certain times of the day, with only a quick glance, they can be slightly ambiguous.

As for trying, it is nice when people try to be helpful.
 
the minute hand has sixty gradients as opposed to merely twelve. being longer allows it to reach closer to the circumference for a more precise reading

If they were the same size there would be no way to distinguish them

To your first point, it almost would have made sense for there to be two sets of concentric gradients; an inner one near the tip of the hour hand with 12 gradients labeled 1-12, and an outer one near the tip of the minute hand with 60 gradients labeled 0-59. That way both could be read more precisely, and the minute scale could be labelled correctly.

While we're at it, how about a bit more consistency with hours labeled 0-11 and minutes 0-59. Why is the top of the hour 12, but the top of the minute zero?

If I ever get my time machine working, I'll have to zap back in time and straighten the product designers who invented the first clocks and watches out. 😂

To your second point, the hands could have been made the same size but different colors or different shapes, though I agree that the choice they made is probably the easiest to read at a glance.
 
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I think a huge percentage of gen A can’t read an analog clock or watch and they’re all on the internet. He’s asking how to improve on reading one with zero numbers or markers
Haha, I mean, I gotta be honest but as a Gen Z, this also occurs to some of us.

There's a little too many people who got used to seeing digital clocks / watches a little too much (myself included)
I also started to learn how to read an analogue watch thanks to the Apple Watch, so I relate a lot tbh
 
Haha, I mean, I gotta be honest but as a Gen Z, this also occurs to some of us.

There's a little too many people who got used to seeing digital clocks / watches a little too much (myself included)
I also started to learn how to read an analogue watch thanks to the Apple Watch, so I relate a lot tbh
The increasing number of people who identify as non binary also meant a rise in people moving from digital to analogue clocks. 😜
 
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To your first point, it almost would have made sense for there to be two sets of concentric gradients; an inner one near the tip of the hour hand with 12 gradients labeled 1-12, and an outer one near the tip of the minute hand with 60 gradients labeled 0-59. That way both could be read more precisely, and the minute scale could be labelled correctly.

While we're at it, how about a bit more consistency with hours labeled 0-11 and minutes 0-59. Why is the top of the hour 12, but the top of the minute zero?

If I ever get my time machine working, I'll have to zap back in time and straighten the product designers who invented the first clocks and watches out. 😂

To your second point, the hands could have been made the same size but different colors or different shapes, though I agree that the choice they made is probably the easiest to read at a glance.
They initially used real hands on clocks but the sales went through the roof and so there was a shortage of hands for the clocks. They thought about bear arms, but the Americans then declared the right to them. So it was so that we ended up with the way clocks are now.

A shortage of hands and bear arms 🤔
 
point, it almost would have made sense for there to be two sets of concentric gradients; an inner one near the tip of the hour hand with 12 gradients labeled 1-12, and an outer one near the tip of the minute hand with 60 gradients

Maybe you are kidding?

A typical design is indeed just this. There are two sets of gradients. The set of 12 overlaps the set of 60 and is generally indicated by being longer —ie: inner, which signals that they belong to the shorter hand, as the shorter gradients (outer) belong to the longer hand
 
Maybe you are kidding?

A typical design is indeed just this. There are two sets of gradients. The set of 12 overlaps the set of 60 and is generally indicated by being longer —ie: inner, which signals that they belong to the shorter hand, as the shorter gradients (outer) belong to the longer hand
Having one hand longer than the other is unfortunate. We usually do have a stronger hand but at least they are the same length. And talking about gradients, I don’t like my watch to have a gradient as telling the time should be a relatively easy task. Gradients result in more work. So mine is flat, just like the earth we live on.
 
Oh, thanks for clearing that up. Silly me thought it was the right to bare arms, which is why I've stocked up on short-sleeved shirts.
Ah yeah, bare arms… it’s a misunderstanding. There is no right to bare arms and indeed in some states the morality police will arrest you for showing those arms. Especially if they are hairy arms. But in exceptional cases very hairy arms can mistaken for wooly jumpers, in which case you’d probably get away with it.
 
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