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Use a map to find your hemisphere at home. The makeshift watch compass described in this article uses the position of the sun in the sky to determine North and South. Because the sun is in a different part of the sky in the Northern Hemisphere (the part of the earth north of the equator) than it is in the Southern Hemisphere (the part of the earth south of the equator), it's important to account for this difference to ensure your compass is accurate. It's usually easy to tell whether you're in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere simply by virtue of knowing what country you're in (for instance, The Southern Hemisphere includes most of South America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Australia). If you're at home (or otherwise near civilization), use a map, a globe, or an online geographical resource to find your position relative to the equator.