WatchTime vs Lugs
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
WatchTime
Access the leading watch magazine on your iPad with this app. Preview, organize, and purchase individual issues or subscribe for ongoing access. Enjoy enhanced multimedia content, offline reading, and a personal archive of your favorite watch content.
- Preview, organize, and purchase issues
- Enhanced multimedia content (audio, video, galleries)
- Offline reading capabilities
- Personal archive of purchased issues
- iPad-optimized reading experience
- Bookmarks and table of contents
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WatchTime - The Magazine of Fine Watches The No. 1 watch magazine in the U.S. is now available for the iPad! Use this free WatchTime app to preview, organize, and purchase individual issues. Purchase WatchTime iPad editions enhanced with multimedia features for $7.99 or subscribe to the 6 months auto-renewable subscription for $19.99. The subscription will be automatically renewed until canceled. No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period. Including FREE Special-Editions: - Receive complete issues as iPad editions - Bonus content includes audio, video, supplements and photo galleries - WatchTime.com News available in the iPhone-Version - Bookmarks - iPad-optimized reading experience - zoom images and text - Table of Contents - Personal archive of purchased issues - Read offline with access to audio, video, supplements and photo galleries For more info about the iPad edition of WatchTime go to http://www.watchtime.com About WatchTime WatchTime’s editorial independence and expertise has made it America’s most respected watch magazine. Best known for its in-depth cover stories, striking original photography, and thorough watch tests and reviews, WatchTime also offers people profiles (top watchmakers, watch collectors, and watch executives), product trends, technical features, watch industry analysis, historical and travel articles and more, all aimed at informing and entertaining watch aficionados. Our privacy policy can be found here at https://www.watchtime.com/privacy-policy/, https://www.smarticle.com/privacy/?lang=en Terms of Use https://www.watchtime.com/website-terms-conditions/
Lugs
Manage your watch collection with this privacy-focused app. Track wear, value, service history, and accuracy for each timepiece. Includes a wishlist and export options for your data.
- Add and manage unlimited watches
- Track wear history and streaks
- Monitor watch value and ownership
- Log service history and set reminders
- Create and manage a wishlist
- Export data as PDF, JSON, or CSV
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Lugs is the privacy-first watch collection app built by a collector, for collectors. No account. No signup. No email. Just open the app and start managing your collection. Your data stays on your device unless you choose Lugs+ sync. COLLECTION MANAGEMENT - Add any watch with full control over every detail - Use grid, list, and compact views - Search, sort, and filter your entire collection - Add multiple photos per watch: dial shots, casebacks, wrist checks WEAR TRACKING - Log what you are wearing today in two taps - See your full wear history in a calendar view - Find your most-worn, least-worn, and current streak - Use the randomizer when you cannot decide what to wear - Backdate wears for days you forgot to log VALUE & OWNERSHIP TRACKING - Track purchase price and current estimated value - See collection value, gain/loss, and cost per wear - Export a professional insurance helper PDF for free - Export everything as JSON or CSV - your data, your format ACCURACY TRACKING - Track seconds per day across six positions - Compare against COSC benchmarks - Follow performance trends over time - Know your mechanical watches inside and out SERVICE HISTORY - Keep a complete service timeline for every watch - Track date, cost, provider, notes, and parts - Set reminders so you do not miss a service window WISHLIST - Track the watches you are considering next - Add target prices and notes - Convert a wishlist item into your collection when you buy it PRIVACY FIRST - No account required - Works offline - Local-first storage - Optional encrypted cloud backup with Lugs+ - No ads and no selling your data - Full export, so your collection is never locked in OPTIONAL UPGRADES Pro unlocks unlimited watches, full wear history, deeper analytics, service reminders, and cost-per-wear. Insurance PDF export remains free. Lugs+ includes Pro features plus encrypted cloud backup and multi-device sync, hosted in Europe. Built with the same care you expect from your timepieces. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Lugs at 67% against WatchTime's 16%. Lugs also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.1) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 6 months). WatchTime's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.1). On price, ratings volume, 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
Both are free to download. WatchTime sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per 6 months and Lugs sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Lugs holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10 and 16 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 16% of WatchTime's written reviews are positive against 67% of Lugs's.
WatchTime ships an update every 6 months, Lugs every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | WatchTime | Lugs |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.1 (10 ratings) | 4.8 (16 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 16.4% of reviews | 66.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 10 | 16 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 108 MB | 52 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | +4 |
| Developer | Ebner Media Group GmbH & Co. KG | Ovidiu-Cristian Damian |
Customer experience
WatchTime
Lugs
Bugs and requests
WatchTime
Reported bugs
38 issues- App crashes persistently
- App does not default to last page
- App is not optimized for mobile
- Cannot view magazines after purchase
- Not receiving latest issue
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- App opens to a random page
- Impossible to log in
- Passwords do not work
- Subscription service does not let you load magazines
- Support inquiries go unanswered
- App demands repurchase of issues
- App constantly forgets subscription information
- Invalid input messages when logging in
- Error while activating
- User information keeps dropping out
- App needs to remember and return to the page it was on
- App almost never recognizes internet connection
- Magazines downloaded but not found
- App crashes constantly
- App takes forever to accept subscription number
- App will not provide access without repurchase
- App demands repurchase of issues
- App does not work
- Subscription lost after iPad update
- Cannot download any magazines after update
- App won't run
- App crashes at the main page
- App won't start
- App complains no network available
- App requires active internet connection but sits there
- App crashes when downloading
- App won't even start
- App crashes without reason
- Wifi keeps dropping out in this app ONLY
- No wifi in the app means you can't download paid magazines
- App won't start
- App crashes
- App closes when downloading
Requested features
8 requests- Higher resolution images
- Sync bookmarks across devices
- Remember last page viewed
- Subscription options
- Free digital access for print subscribers
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- More affordable digital pricing
- List of purchased items only
- App remembers last page
Lugs
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
WatchTime
- WatchTime$19.996 Months
- WatchTime$39.991 Year
- WatchTime June 2010$6.99
- WatchTime December 2010$6.99
- WatchTime February 2011$6.99
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- WatchTime April 2011$6.99
- WatchTime August 2011$6.99
- WatchTime October 2011$6.99
- WatchTime June 2011$7.99
- WatchTime BUYERS GUIDE 2012$8.99
Lugs
- Cloud7 Days trial$3.991 Month
- Pro Lifetime$29.99









