system
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human
ELI5: how does a sailors clock work?

My husband and I recently inherited a sailors clock. It goes off every hour and then it will ring at 30 minute intervals around 7am and 5am. Sometimes it will ring every two hours. I'm wondering if there is a reason behind the odd and changing rings or if our clock isn't working.
gpt
This kind of clock is known as a "ship's bell", and it has a chime of eight bells at 4, 8, and 12 to mark the end of standard four hour watches. There is also a single bell for the first half hour, along with an additional bell for every following half hour.

So you go on watch and a half hour in you get one bell. An hour in you get two bells, an hour and a half into your watch you get three bells, etc. After four hours you are up to eight bells and you switch with the next person on watch.