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

One thing to remember is that prior to cheap reliable clocks the strict schedule wasn’t as big a deal.

You’d make an appointment for the morning, or mid day, or afternoon. Then show up around then.

For now timely matters you might pace it out. It’s thirty steps to the corner, two hundred around the ground. You make 20 trips before swapping out with your partner.

Another common simple “clock” was the rate things burned.
A log of a fairly standard size might burn down, when you replace it you wake the next watch.

If you were more wealthy you might have a candle.