Characters On A Wrist Watch

[webmagnets]

What is the deal with the characters on this watch on ebay?

http://cgi.ebay.com/BEAUTIFUL-LARGE-WATCH-CHINESE-CHARACTERS-unique-/300427907788?cmd=ViewItem&pt=AU_Watches&hash=item45f2e612cc

I don't recognize the numbers.

[fanglu]

They are the twelve earthly branches, but they are out of order.

Time was actually reckoned like this at some point in the past, but there were 12, rather than 24 segments in the day, each lasting 2 modern hours.

[jbradfor]

Is this a candidate for Hanzismatter? :-)

Time was actually reckoned like this at some point in the past, but there were 12, rather than 24 segments in the day, each lasting 2 modern hours.

Hence the "小" in "小時".

[Glenn]

Is this a candidate for Hanzismatter? :-)

Why would it be?

[jbradfor]

Because they got the order wrong?

To me, it's a bit like trying to have a "geek" watch and have the numbers in binary, and then get the numbers in the wrong order.

I think it's funny. But maybe I shouldn't admit that in public.

[Glenn]

Oh, right. I seem to have forgotten about that part. No, you're right. Have binary numbers out of order might be a funny inside joke, though. Haha

[trien27]

What is the deal with the characters on this watch on ebay?

Oh, right. I seem to have forgotten about that part. No, you're right. Have binary numbers out of order might be a funny inside joke, though. Haha

十二時辰: These are the 12 "double-hours" represented by the same symbols for the 12 earthly branches: The times I give below are approximates.

1st half of the day:

子 = 11:00pm - 12:59am [On the watch, starts in the 1st half of the double hour , which is 11pm] [= 三更 = 半夜 = "Chinese midnight"]. 夜半子時 = 12am-12:59am.

丑 = 1:00am - 2:59am [On the watch, starts in the 1st half of the double hour , which is 1am]

寅 = 3:00am - 4:59am [On the watch, starts in the 1st half of the double hour , which is 3am]

卯 = 5:00am - 6:59am [On the watch, starts in the 1st half of the double hour , which is 5am]

辰 = 7:00am - 8:59am [On the watch, starts in the 1st half of the double hour , which is 7am]

巳 = 9:00am - 10:59am [On the watch, starts in the 1st half of the double hour , which is 9am]

2nd half of the day:

午 = 11:00am - 12:59pm [On the watch, starts in the 2nd half of the double hour, which is 12pm]

未 = 1:00pm - 2:59pm [On the watch, starts in the 2nd half of the double hour , which is 2pm]

申 = 3:00pm - 4:59pm [On the watch, starts in the 2nd half of the double hour , which is 4pm]

酉 = 5:00pm - 6:59pm [On the watch, starts in the 2nd half of the double hour , which is 6pm]

戌 = 7:00pm - 8:59pm [On the watch, starts in the 2nd half of the double hour , which is 8pm]

亥 = 9:00pm - 10:59pm [On the watch, starts in the 2nd half of the double hour , which is 10pm]

In the past, being born in 亥時 [9pm to about 11pm] especially "brings bad omens" due to 亥 & 害 are homophones in Mandarin & Cantonese [in individual dialects, not a mixture.]

If you just look at the table I've posted above, then it's not in the wrong order.

一時三刻: 一個時辰 = 三刻 = One double hour = three 刻 = 120 minutes [= two hours time] / 3 = 一刻 = approximately 40 minutes. EDIT: I might be incorrect here? Just saw what Hofmann posted.

I've seen a similar looking clock a while back.

[Hofmann]

Because they got the order wrong?

The first ones are where I would expect them. The last ones are late by an hour, but the order is correct. I don't know what the norm is for Chinese watches, but if I were doing it (in 12-hour watches) I would put them in the same place.

Also 刻=日/百. 刻=14 minutes, 24 seconds.

[roddy]

The norm for Chinese watches is to not use Chinese characters. This will be intended to be either a novelty or a souvenir.

[trien27]

刻=14 minutes, 24 seconds.

You might be correct: I do remember now that I've read somewhere that 一個時辰 = 八刻 therefore, each 刻 = 15 minutes.