We rely on clocks every single day, whether it’s the one on your wrist, your smartphone, or the wall of your office. But have you ever paused for a moment to wonder—what if every clock in the world suddenly stopped working? Would we be able to tell the exact time without the tools we so often take for granted? Surprisingly, the answer is yes. Humanity’s ingenuity and our connection to the natural and astronomical world offer ways to track time even without modern technology.

This blog explores the fascinating methods we could use to determine the time if clocks ceased to function. From harnessing the position of the sun to observing the rhythms of nature, you’ll learn just how resourceful we can be when faced with time’s most pressing question.

How Did People Track Time Before Modern Clocks?

To understand how we would manage without clocks today, it’s helpful to look back at how our ancestors did it. Long before mechanical clocks, people used natural occurrences to measure time, dividing their days and seasons based on the cycles of the sun, moon, and stars.

Sundials and the Movement of Shadows 

One of the earliest tools to measure time was the sundial. By observing the shadow cast by a stick or “gnomon” in sunlight, ancient civilizations could divide the day into hours. While this method isn’t as precise as a digital clock, it worked astonishingly well for millennia.

How it works now: Even today, you can craft a simple sundial with a stick and a flat surface. Place the stick upright in a sunny area and observe how the shadow moves throughout the day. While it won’t give you the time down to the second, it will provide a fairly accurate approximation—perfect for a clock-free world.

Stars and Celestial Navigation 

At night, people turned to the stars. The rotation of the Earth causes constellations to move predictably across the sky. Mariners and astronomers from ancient times were able to measure not just direction but also hours using these celestial movements. For example, the North Star (Polaris) was a reliable point of reference for night travelers in the Northern Hemisphere.

What to do if clocks stop: Learn the basic positions of major constellations at different times of the night. Many apps and books can teach these astronomical tricks, which can help you roughly gauge the time after sunset.

Water Clocks and Sand Timers 

Another alternative before the mechanical clock was invented was water clocks and sand timers. These devices worked on a simple yet effective principle of measuring a consistent flow, whether it was water dripping or sand pouring from one chamber to another. While this method wasn’t reliant on celestial phenomena, you’d still need to reset them manually—less convenient but functional in a pinch.

 Using the Sun to Determine Time

If all the clocks stopped right now, the sun would become our most reliable guide. Its position in the sky provides a natural indicator of the time.

The Position of the Sun

The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, passing its highest point in the sky—noon—midway through the day. By observing where the sun is relative to the horizon, you can estimate the time. An easy way to do this is using the “hand-span method”:

  1. Stretch your arm out in front of you and align the bottom of your hand with the horizon. 
  2. Count how many hand spans it takes to reach the sun. Each span roughly equals one hour. 

For example, if there are three hand spans between the sun and the horizon in the late afternoon, you’re likely about three hours away from sunset.

Building a Makeshift Sundial

Creating a sundial today requires just a stick and a sunny space:

  • Place the stick upright in the ground. 
  • Mark the stick’s shadow on the ground hourly (using a known time source if possible just for setup). 
  • Over time, you’ll build a map of shadows that correspond to various times. Once established, you can use it repeatedly to measure time! 

 Nature’s Clues for Telling Time

You’d be amazed at how much nature can tell you about the time of day. Animals, plants, and even our own bodies follow biological rhythms tied to the Earth’s daily cycles.

Observing Animal Behavior

Animals often follow predictable routines. Roosters crow at dawn, birds are most active during the early hours, and certain nocturnal animals appear only after sunset. While not as accurate as a clock, paying attention to animal activity helps provide a rough timeframe.

Plants and Flowers

Some flowers follow the sun, opening and closing at specific times. For instance, morning glories bloom in the early morning and close by midday, while evening primroses open around sunset. These natural “flower clocks” were even studied by Carl Linnaeus, who proposed planting gardens designed to track time through blooming patterns.

 High-Tech Solutions If Clocks Fail

If this no-clock scenario were a global technology outage, you wouldn’t necessarily have to rely on ancient methods alone. A few modern tools or workarounds could help:

Solar Watches and GPS Tracking

Solar-powered watches require no batteries and only need sunlight to function. Similarly, some GPS devices can measure time using satellites, a feature less reliant on electrical infrastructure.

Smartphones Without Network 

Even if global clocks failed, most smartphones have internal clocks that use algorithms rather than external synchronization. While they might drift over time, they’d provide a short-term solution.

 The Human Clock

If none of these methods are available, there’s one last timekeeper left—your own body. Humans possess a natural circadian rhythm, a roughly 24-hour cycle regulated by internal and external cues like sunlight, meals, and sleep. While far from perfect, your body can help you estimate the passage of time, especially in familiar routines.

 The World Without Clocks

While it’s unlikely that every timekeeping device would suddenly cease to exist, exploring these alternatives opens your mind to humanity’s resourcefulness. From using the sun and stars to observing nature, there are countless ways to stay in tune with time—even if every clock in the world stopped working.

Modern life may revolve around precise schedules, but these ancient and manual methods remind us of the deep connection between time and nature.

What’s Your Timekeeping Alternative? 

Which of these methods intrigues you the most? Try one out the next time you take a break from the clock and rediscover the timeless art of telling time.