Eli5: Historically, time during the night was measured by ‘watches’; eg. First watch, Second watch, etc. How did people determine when one watch ended and the next began?

Question

It can’t be influenced by the moon or stars in the sky, because how would they measure the time during a moonless cloudy night?

Edit: How would, say, 3 common travellers camping on the road measure time at night?

In: 38

Answer 1

Travelers on the road wouldn’t use watches, as such. Formal watches were used on ships, because ships were always moving, night and day, and needed someone to make sure they were on course and not getting into a hazardous situation. The watches always began/ended with bells. Often ships were on missions for months at a time, or journeys of years. People got used to the rhythm of ship life.

If you were traveling on a road you wouldn’t need to know the exact time to wake someone for a watch. People were much better at judging the passing of time. They were attuned to the natural world more than we are because they lived closer to it. Also, if you traveled during a new moon and the sky were overcast, you would just pay more attention to other clues.