Comparison

Twelve O'clock vs TimeWave

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Twelve O'clock

Easily track the accuracy of your mechanical watches over time. Manually log checkpoints to calculate seconds per day and visualize performance with charts. Manage your watch collection with photos and learn more about horology.

Highlights
  • Manage watch collection
  • Add/edit/remove watches
  • Include watch photos
  • Track watch accuracy
  • Calculate seconds per day
  • View accuracy charts
  • Horology content
Features
Read full description

Twelve O’clock is an app that helps track your watch accuracy easily in a realistic way. I can’t stress this enough: it’s “tracking”, not measuring instantaneous accuracy like a timegrapher device. It’s a manual and oldschool job but it brings so much fun. It reminds me of the old days when I had to synchronize my watch to the clock on the TV at 7pm every day. With Twelve O'clock you can: ** MANAGE YOUR WATCH COLLECTION * Add, edit, remove any item in a list of your watch collection * Include a nice wristshot of each watch ** KNOW YOUR WATCH ACCURACY * Simply add some checkpoints and let the app calculate the accuracy in *second per day* * A nice chart of the accuracy over the time ** LEARN MORE ABOUT HOROLOGY * Curated content for watch lovers (like me)

About

TimeWave

This app simulates radio-controlled clock signals to help your watch synchronize its time when terrestrial signals are unavailable. It offers guides for popular watch brands and checks environmental conditions before transmission.

Highlights
  • Radio-controlled clock signal simulation
  • Support for multiple international time signals
  • Environment pre-check and recommendations
  • Smart output tuning for various audio paths
  • Local time mode for overseas watches
  • Watch-specific synchronization guides
  • Live signal visualization and sync history
Features
Read full description

TimeWave is a professional time-signal simulator designed for radio-controlled watches and clocks. When your watch cannot reliably receive a terrestrial time signal, TimeWave can generate a compatible time code through your iPhone or iPad speaker, wired headphones, or supported Bluetooth audio devices. This helps your watch perform manual reception and synchronize its time wherever you are. No ads. No account required. No personal data uploaded. Core synchronization features work offline. SUPPORTED TIME SIGNALS • BPC — China • JJY40 / JJY60 — Japan • WWVB — United States • MSF — United Kingdom • DCF77 — Germany KEY FEATURES ENVIRONMENT PRE-CHECK Before transmission begins, TimeWave checks device volume, battery level, ambient noise, and magnetic-field conditions. It then provides practical recommendations to help reduce common synchronization failures. SMART OUTPUT TUNING TimeWave adjusts signal parameters for different audio output paths, including the built-in speaker, wired headphones, and supported Bluetooth audio devices, helping maintain a stable transmission. LOCAL TIME MODE Designed for imported and overseas watch models. Generate a compatible time signal using your selected local time zone, making it easier to synchronize watches that do not support your local transmitter. WATCH-SPECIFIC GUIDES Follow step-by-step guides for popular radio-controlled watches from Casio G-Shock and Multiband 6, Citizen Eco-Drive, Seiko, Junghans, Braun, and more. Guides may include: • Manual reception instructions • Antenna-position diagrams • Recommended watch placement • Reception-status indicators • Troubleshooting suggestions Actual compatibility depends on the watch model and the time-signal standard it supports. MULTIPLE PLACEMENT METHODS View clear diagrams for positioning your watch near an iPhone or iPad speaker, wired headphone cable, or supported audio device. OUTPUT PROTECTION TimeWave controls signal amplitude according to the selected output path and provides warnings when device conditions may be unsuitable for transmission. LIVE SIGNAL VISUALIZATION Watch the current time code and transmission waveform in real time, with a clear view of progress and remaining time. SYNC HISTORY Save synchronization sessions and record whether each attempt succeeded or failed. Review previous attempts to compare stations, placement methods, and device settings. PRIVATE AND OFFLINE TimeWave does not require an account and does not upload your personal data. Core time-signal generation and watch guides are available offline. HOW TO USE 1. Choose a supported time-signal station or enable Local Time Mode. 2. Put your watch into manual reception mode. On some G-Shock models, this may be shown as RC, RX, or GET. 3. Position the watch antenna close to your iPhone or iPad speaker, wired headphone cable, or supported audio device, following the in-app diagram. 4. Increase the volume and keep both the watch and device still. 5. Start transmission and wait approximately 2–10 minutes. Check the reception indicator on your watch to confirm the result. TIPS FOR BETTER RECEPTION • Keep the watch and device away from chargers, power adapters, computers, televisions, speakers, and other sources of electromagnetic interference. • Watch reception depends on the model, antenna direction, volume, output device, placement, and surrounding environment. • If your imported watch does not support your local transmitter, select a compatible signal standard and use Local Time Mode when needed. • For the best results, select your watch brand or model in TimeWave and follow the recommended placement guide. TimeWave is an independent utility and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any watch manufacturer or time-signal authority. Brand and product names are used only to describe compatibility. Questions or suggestions? Contact: [fish2next@gmail.com](mailto:fish2next@gmail.com)

Screenshots

Twelve O'clock4 screens
TimeWave3 screens

Verdict

The call

Twelve O'clock and TimeWave both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 91% of Twelve O'clock's written reviews are positive against 0% of TimeWave's. Twelve O'clock also leads on ratings volume (83 vs 18). TimeWave's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Twelve O'clock sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and TimeWave sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Twelve O'clock against 4.4 for TimeWave. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 83 and 18 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of Twelve O'clock's written reviews are positive against 0% of TimeWave's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Twelve O'clock ships an update every 3 weeks, TimeWave weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Twelve O'clock versus TimeWave: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTwelve O'clockTimeWave
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (83 ratings)4.4 (18 ratings) — better
Positive reviews91.1% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings83 — better18
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size46 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHieu Pham毅 何

Customer experience

Twelve O'clock

All ratings82 ratings
Positive84.1%
Neutral1.2%
Negative14.6%
Written reviews123 reviews
Positive91.1%
Neutral0.8%
Negative8.1%

TimeWave

All ratings18 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral11.1%
Negative5.6%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Twelve O'clock

Reported bugs

11 issues
  • App freezes at loading requiring phone restart
  • Data deletion after app updates
  • Data loss on app crash
  • Graph display glitches after checkpoints
  • Photo checkpoint feature returns 'old photo not supported' error
Show 6 more
  • Beeping only works when phone not in silent mode
  • Sort function not working
  • Screenshot sharing produces blank page
  • Calculation errors showing ~150 second variance
  • Checkpoint history doesn't display correctly
  • Swiping left to delete checkpoints not intuitive

Requested features

18 requests
  • iCloud/cloud synchronization across devices
  • Notifications or reminders for checkpoints
  • Current time button on checkpoint screen
  • Larger buttons for 15/30/45 second marks
  • Power reserve tracking
Show 13 more
  • Wear frequency tracking
  • Average accuracy by watch position
  • Widget support
  • Atomic clock built into app
  • Regulator clock layout for time setting
  • In-app feedback option (instead of Twitter)
  • Automatic time reading from watch photos
  • 12-hour time format option
  • Sort function improvements
  • Year display in checkpoint history
  • Chrono24 account integration
  • Regular article updates
  • Export to Excel/CSV

TimeWave

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Twelve O'clock

One-time1
  • Twelve Plus$1.99
2 purchases

TimeWave

One-time2
  • Buy Me a Coffee$0.99
  • Lifetime Membership$3.99

Questions

Is Twelve O'clock free?
Twelve O'clock is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is TimeWave free?
TimeWave is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Twelve O'clock or TimeWave?
TimeWave is rated higher. Twelve O'clock averages 4.4 out of 5 from 83 ratings, while TimeWave averages 4.4 from 18 ratings.
Do Twelve O'clock or TimeWave have ads?
Neither Twelve O'clock nor TimeWave shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Twelve O'clock or TimeWave?
Twelve O'clock ships an update every 3 weeks, and TimeWave weekly. Most recently, Twelve O'clock was updated on October 21, 2026 and TimeWave on October 8, 2026.

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