Emerald Chronometer vs MAX Daylight
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Emerald Chronometer
Experience highly detailed mechanical watch faces with advanced astronomical and clock complications. Track celestial events, manage time with precision, and explore historical and future dates with interactive displays. Optimized for iPhone and iPod touch.
- Accurate astronomical data (4000 BCE - 2800 CE)
- Sun, Moon, and planet rise/set times
- Mechanical display of Moon phases
- Precise local and UTC time
- Chronograph with split timer
- World-time and calendar watches
- Interactive time-travel simulation
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These models of high-end mechanical watch faces contain many of the most complex "complications" found in real watches, plus refinements found nowhere else. All displays maintain the look and feel of real mechanical objects, but with the time and location accuracy of the iPhone. NOTE: This app (Emerald Chronometer) is optimized for the iPhone and iPod touch. Please also see Emerald Chronometer HD, a separate product optimized for the iPad. Astronomy features: - Highly accurate data from 4000 BCE to 2800 CE - Times of rise and set for the Sun, the Moon, and the 5 classical planets - The correct shape and orientation of the Moon in all phases but still using a mechanical display - Relative positions of the Sun, Moon, 6 planets and the constellations of the zodiac - "Compass functions" show the elevation and azimuth of the Sun, the Moon, and the 5 planets - The Equation of Time, solar time and sidereal time - Eclipse predictor (lunar node indicators and separation indicator) - User settable geographic location and timezone using an 80,000 city database - A unique face showing the rise and set times of all 5 classical planets plus the Sun and the Moon at once Clock features: - Day/date/month/year indicators, using mechanical wheels - Local and UTC time - Chronograph (stopwatch) with split timer, 1/10 sec accuracy - Alarm clock and interval timer; notifications are delivered in iOS 4 if the app is not running** - World-time watch with 24-city ring on one side and 4 subdials on the other - Calendar watch with rotating wheels showing a full month at a time - Most watches with 1/5 sec or 1/10 sec precision - Synchronized with standard atomic clocks via NTP There are 16 watches in all, with 27 total watch faces (including front and back sides). A setting is available to allow the display to stay on only when plugged in. Play with the watches by tapping on the crown and moving the hands, or press and hold on a date window to zoom through time to see the effect on the heavens. Then just use them to show you when it's time for a break. A complete description of each application feature can be found in the built-in Help screens and on the Emerald Sequoia LLC Web Site, which also includes a demo movie. A developer's blog may also be found at http://emeraldsequoia.com/esblog/ . If you are having any trouble with the application whatsoever, please see our FAQ on the support page listed below and then contact us through that page if your problem is not resolved. We take pride in responding promptly to all support email requests. **NTP accuracy is not guaranteed for alarm delivery if the app is not running. (NTP requires Internet access. Like all apps Emerald Chronometer can not change the device's internal clock.)
MAX Daylight
Track remaining daylight and receive sunset notifications. Explore solar data globally, compare locations, and generate reports. Calculate distances to the Equator and poles.
- Real-time sunset time
- Sunset notifications
- Global sunrise/sunset monitoring
- Location comparison
- Distance to Equator/Poles
- Solar data reports
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I wrote this app to help me get home before dark while riding my bicycle. You can see at a glance how much time until sunset, and set notifications for when you are running out of sunlight. Your loved ones will no longer worry or complain. Then I added everything solar but the kitchen sink, just for fun. Not only for your current location, you can monitor sunrise, noon, and sunset anywhere on Earth. You can compare locations, make movies, and generate reports comparing a location you select to places around the globe. Check the distance to your location, the Equator, and the North or South Pole from anywhere on Earth. Quick and easy for its headline purpose, but enough detail to satisfy almost any nerd. Most of the USA is far enough north to have little sunlight in mid-winter, rapid changes in the amount of sunlight in spring and fall, and a glorious abundance in summer. You need this app to keep on top of all that.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: MAX Daylight at free against Emerald Chronometer's paid. MAX Daylight also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 22 months). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Emerald Chronometer against 4.9 for MAX Daylight. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 105 and 62 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 97% of Emerald Chronometer's written reviews are positive against 94% of MAX Daylight's.
Emerald Chronometer ships an update every 22 months, MAX Daylight every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and August 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Emerald Chronometer | MAX Daylight |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (105 ratings) — better | 4.9 (62 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 96.8% of reviews — better | 93.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 105 — better | 62 |
| Update frequency | Every 22 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | — | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 311 MB | 32 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Scapa Flow, LLC | Stephen Mykytyn |
Customer experience
Emerald Chronometer
MAX Daylight
In-app purchases
Emerald Chronometer
No in-app purchases
MAX Daylight
No in-app purchases







