Using a watch as a compass

The things one learns from movies. I learned this from The Edge (1997):

Point the hour hand at the sun when you are north of the equator. South will be halfway between the hour hand and 12 o'clock.

Of course there are other ways. As for the movie, it was OK. I'm fond of Anthony Hopkins, but Alec Baldwin has always struck me as very much a B actor.

Wait a minute! No wonder this didn't work in Taiwan!

...if you are within or very close to the tropics, the determination of north or south as described above may not be reliable

(from Using the Sun to Orient Yourself)