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Nocturnal Watch ($18) 3d printed This is the nocturnal printed in the White Detail material, then soaked in a cup of cold strong tea overnight, and dried and buffed with a paper napkin. I love the extra definition the tea stain gives the details, and the aged look it provides!

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This is the nocturnal printed in the White Detail material, then soaked in a cup of cold strong tea overnight, and dried and buffed with a paper napkin. I love the extra definition the tea stain gives the details, and the aged look it provides!
Nocturnal Watch ($18) 3d printed This is the nocturnal printed in the White Detail material, then soaked in a cup of cold strong tea overnight, and dried and buffed with a paper napkin.  I love the extra definition the tea stain gives the details, and the aged look it provides!
Nocturnal Watch ($18) 3d printed This is the nocturnal printed in the White Detail material, then soaked in a cup of cold strong tea overnight, and dried and buffed with a paper napkin.  I love the extra definition the tea stain gives the details, and the aged look it provides!

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Not a Photo

Nocturnal Watch ($18) 3d printed Here is a rendering of what this Nocturnal might look like in aged brass.  Note: this picture is to scale as you see it.  If you click on it, it will zoom larger than life.  The picture shows the nocturnal set to the 10th of February at 4pm ... unfortunat
Nocturnal Watch ($18) 3d printed Here is a rendering of what this Nocturnal might look like in aged brass.  Note: this picture is to scale as you see it.  If you click on it, it will zoom larger than life.  The picture shows the nocturnal set to the 10th of February at 4pm ... unfortunat

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Nocturnal Watch ($18) 3d printed Nocturnal time piece printed in black detail material.
Nocturnal Watch ($18) 3d printed Nocturnal time piece printed in black detail material.

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Nocturnal Watch ($18) 3d printed Nocturnal time piece printed in white detail material.
Nocturnal Watch ($18) 3d printed Nocturnal time piece printed in white detail material.

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Nocturnal Watch ($18) 3d printed Nocturnal time piece printed in black material and dry brushed with silver paint.  The black material as a base works nicely with the silver carefully dry brushed onto the piece to achieve a tarnished finish.
Nocturnal Watch ($18) 3d printed Nocturnal time piece printed in black material and dry brushed with silver paint.  The black material as a base works nicely with the silver carefully dry brushed onto the piece to achieve a tarnished finish.

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Nocturnal Watch ($18) 3d printed Here is a comparison of the white detail nocturnal died with tea overnight (on the right), and died with red wine for two hours (on the left)
Nocturnal Watch ($18) 3d printed Here is a comparison of the white detail nocturnal died with tea overnight (on the right), and died with red wine for two hours (on the left)

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Nocturnal Watch ($18) 3d printed Here are the nocturnals in black, white, tea-dyed white, and metal!  The metal one, unfortunately does not turn.  The metal fused to itself as gravity rested the parts on top of each other.
Nocturnal Watch ($18) 3d printed Here are the nocturnals in black, white, tea-dyed white, and metal!  The metal one, unfortunately does not turn.  The metal fused to itself as gravity rested the parts on top of each other.

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Nocturnal Watch ($18) 3d printed Description
Nocturnal Watch ($18) 3d printed Description

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Nocturnal Watch ($18) 3d printed
Nocturnal Watch ($18) 3d printed

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Nocturnal Watch ($18)

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Product Description
The nocturnal (or nocturlabe) is a very old instrument for telling time at night by measuring the stars. While concept is ancient, this design is all original. It is fully functional (all dials move properly) and meant to be worn as a pendant. This is now available for sale, as it has been tested and works nicely.

How to Use the Nocturnal:

The top of the nocturnal is where you see a bit of a ring around a spike. This ring can be strung with a chain and makes it possible to wear the nocturnal as a pendant. When reading the nocturnal, this end of the piece should always be up.

Your first step is to set the outermost dial on the date. The months are shown as letters, with January and December at the top, and the progression of the months running *counterclockwise*. Note that the exact position of the letter actually marks the middle of that month. Look closer at the piece and you will see the line that separates the months between the letters.

Now, hold your nocturnal up to the starry night sky, making sure that the date is still properly set. Locate the North Star centred in the hole in the middle of the Nocturnal. Then use the central dial (the one that looks like a pointer) to point to the two stars at the end of the bowl of the *big* dipper.

Once you have this all set. Look closer at the pointer and you will see that within the pointer is an eliptical ring and within this is a smaller pointer. This smaller pointer points to a roman numeral, which shows you the time.

Note again, that the roman numeral is centred on the middle of the hour. So, if the little pointer points in the centre of the numeral, it is in fact half past.

So now you can tell time at night without a powered time piece. This is great for night owls, vampires, and those who appreciate a gothic or steampunk look.
Details
What's in the box:
Nocturnal Watch ($18)
Dimensions:
4.94 x 1.23 x 4.94 cm
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1.95 x 0.48 x 1.94 inches
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Rating:
Mature audiences only.
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