Astro II Constellation Watch - Astronomy/Astronomical Night Sky View with Rotating Planisphere map Complication

It has been on my to-do list for a while to write a detailed review about this watch. I actually got it for my celestial/cosmos-themed wedding last September and I have been an novice astronomy enthusiast my entire life (having been named after a constellation!). The watch is gorgeous and was PERFECT for the wedding outfit. For context: I know practically nothing about mechanical/quartz analog watches. I instead have been sporting various satellite smart watches for day-to-day use for my entire adult life. I was put off some by other reviews that complained about it being too hard to figure out, but I'm glad I set those concerns aside because the watch is fantastic and contains an unreal amount of information for those willing to just sit down and read the detailed instructions that come with it. Initially I was going to include detailed instructions of my own as part of my review but I'll save those to share elsewhere on the internet when I have time to actually record a video. In fairness, when I purchased the timepiece, I had been under the assumption that the constellation dial would spin in tandem with the normal automatic components of the watch. I pictured being able to just look at the watch face and figure out which constellations would be overhead. That's not how this watch works and the timelapse I aim to include with this review shows just that. I'm of the mind that it's a reasonable misconception for those like me who know nothing about watches. To actually access the vast amount of information on this watch requires a manual adjustment of the constellation disc, and to actually see that vast amount of information requires magnification. The makers suggest using an 8x loupe. I suggest using astronomy software and trying out different dates throughout the year to make sure you can use the watch correctly. But people leaving negative reviews because they refuse to read the directions and to put in any time to learn how it works is just absurd and disingenuous.

Re: Watchdesign ASTRO II - CONSTELLATION WATCH This watch provides an elegant display of both solar and sidereal time. The solar time (the usual 12 hour AM/PM dial) is indicated automatically (with the precision of a quartz watch); however, the sidereal (star) time is approximated manually and for the Northern hemisphere only. The description is deceptively simple and the manual requires familiarity with basic astronomical concepts. Even with a magnifying glass, the cluttered miniature planisphere (the oval-shaped map of the night sky displayed in the lower half of the watch) is impossible to read and decipher unless the user is already familiar with the celestial coordinates of the major constellations (which defeats the purpose of using a planisphere). Also, the user would need to know where Polaris (the North Pole star) is located to make this watch (or any planisphere) useful in mapping the sky. In my experience, the most efficient use of this watch would be to approximate the local sidereal time (LST) by manually setting the month, day and (24 hr) time as described in the manual (aligning the constellation dial). The LST is approximated by the vertical North-South axis (the Meridian) running thru the center of the watch; the hour indicated at the lowest point in the outer (24-hr) ring is the approximate LST. For the Northern stargazer looking South, the projection of the Meridian, from Polaris thru the Zenith (the highest point above), divides the sky into a left (East) and right (West) side, corresponding to the stars and constellations displayed in the planisphere. The red circle in the planisphere represents the Celestial Equator, an extension of the Earth's Equator. Stars are located with positive (northern) or negative (southern) declinations from this Celestial Equator. Planet Earth rotates around its axis counter-clockwise, but this rotation is perceived as a clockwise motion of the stars in the night sky, as viewed from the North Pole (looking South). The Orion's Belt in the Northern Winter sky (declination = 0) is an easy way to identify the location of this equatorial circle for each latitude. The Vernal Point (VP) is a relatively fixed point in the sky used as an astronomical point of reference. The LST measures the time (hh:mm:ss) it takes for the VP to return to the same position each sidereal day. Because the Earth also moves in its orbit around the Sun, the sidereal day is 4 minutes shorter than the solar day. Therefore, the VP shifts 4 minutes from the Meridian each day. For instance, the LST at noon (Sun at the Meridian) would be 00:00:00 on March 20 and 01:00:00 fifteen days after (4 min x 15 days = 60 min = 1 hour angle). Likewise, any star can be located by its orthogonal (right) projection along the equatorial circle in reference to the VP. The angular separation from the VP is measured eastwardly in terms of hh:mm:ss units of "Right Ascension" (RA). One hour of RA = 15 degrees of separation, so that 15x24 complete a full circle of 360 degrees. For instance, the Orion constellation is located between the 5th and 6th hour of RA (corresponding to 75 to 90 degrees east from the VP). The brightest star in the night sky, Sirius (located at 06:45 of RA and some 17 degrees south of the Celestial Equator), would be found moving from the southeastern to the southwestern quadrants of the night sky throughout the Winter in the Northern hemisphere. This is so because at 9:00 PM (21 hour Solar Standard Time) the LST would range from 5:00 in January to 9:00 in March. January thru March would also be an ideal time to locate Orion's Belt in Celestial Equator. In summary, the Celestial Equator and the Meridian (LST) divide the visible night sky into four quadrants to assist the stargazer in finding stars and constellations. This watch is very useful for this purpose. However, its usefulness is quite limited to locate stars and constellations in its cluttered planisphere. Restricting the displayed star map to major visible stars and constellations would greatly improve its general usefulness. ### PS (2021.04.10 update): Overall rating increased to 4.5. The JARLINK 30X 60X Illuminated Jewelers Eye Loupe Magnifier, Foldable Jewelry Magnifier with Bright LED Light for Gems, Jewelry, Coins, Stamps, etc https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078N34WZR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00 solved the magnifying problem. Highly recommended to enjoy this watch. -JB

I really want to give this a good rating because it's so beautiful but I am pretty frustrated with it actually. The instructions that come with it SUCK! I wish I had known that before I spent so much money because I really want to use its functions but I don't know how and it seems really hard to get any info from the seller. For such a nice watch it should have a better manual.

Is it the most practical timepiece ever? No. But the aesthetic is immaculate, and lets be honest, I bought this solely for the look, and on that front it absolutely delivers. The watch part is great, and although the planisphere is small which makes it difficult to read, in my opinion this is more of a statement piece than a functional one. You also have to manually operate the planisphere with one of the dials; it’s not automatic or integrated into the clockwork. I get lots of compliments about it, but do frequently end up having to explain to people what a planisphere is and how it works. When I actually need to use a planisphere to identify constellations it’s much more convenient to just use my phone, but I love wearing this watch anyway - it’s so unique and interesting and looks gorgeous on my wrist.

I returned this watch because it was too hard to read. I never was given a refund. Returned thru UPS.

Bought this for my kid. Hard to figure it out, and very small font on watch. Difficult to read hands. Pass.