Comparison

Oscillo vs TGTimer

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

Head to head
About

Oscillo

This app uses your iPhone's microphone to measure the rate, beat error, and amplitude of mechanical watches. It also identifies watch models, manages your collection with AI-generated portraits, and tracks performance over time. Get detailed reports and reminders to maintain your timepieces.

Highlights
  • Measure watch rate, beat error, and amplitude
  • AI watch identification and model detection
  • AI-generated watch portraits for collection
  • Collection management and organization
  • Detailed measurement history and trends
  • Precision tracking and multi-day cycles
  • Weekly watch reports and profile insights
Read full description

Oscillo is a watch timegrapher for iPhone. Use your iPhone microphone to measure the same metrics a professional watchmaker checks: rate, beat error, and amplitude. No adapters, cables, or expensive equipment. Built for mechanical watch collectors who care about precision. HOW TO MEASURE 1. Place the iPhone microphone flat against the watch crystal or case back. 2. Start recording the tick sounds and wait for the measurement to finish. 3. Review your rate, beat error, and amplitude. KEY FEATURES • Watch Rate Checker — Measure rate (seconds/day), beat error (ms), and amplitude (degrees). Supports the beat rates listed below. • AI Watch Identification — Snap a photo and let AI detect the brand, model, and reference number automatically. • AI-Generated Portraits — Oscillo turns your watch photos into magazine-style cards for your collection. • Collection Management — Browse your watches in grid, full, or list views. Mark watches as favorites, archive them, change their order, and organize your collection. • Measurement History — Detailed charts and trends for every watch, with health badges that help you interpret your measurements. • Precision Tracking — Record manual readings from the dial and follow your watch’s drift over days. Compare observations before and after a regulation or service. • Guided Measurement Cycles — Record timegrapher readings in different watch positions. With Oscillo Pro, complete all six positions and compare results with a saved reference cycle. • Weekly Watch Report — A seven-day summary of your collection: average rate, most-worn watch, best reading, and suggested next actions. • Profile and Wearing Habits — A personal calendar of activity, collection milestones, timing performance, and a heatmap that shows which watches you wear and when. • Reminders — Optional local notifications remind you to log which watch you wore, capture the next precision reading, or open your weekly report. • Offline Access — Your saved collection and measurements are available on your device. Cloud sync and AI features require an internet connection. ACCURACY & ENVIRONMENT • Best results in a quiet room — background noise can affect readings. • Place the case back flat against the microphone for a strong, consistent signal. • If readings seem unstable, move to a quieter space or adjust mic position. • Supported beat rates: 12,000 / 14,400 / 17,280 / 18,000 / 19,800 / 21,600 / 25,200 / 28,800 / 36,000 / 43,200 / 72,000 BPH. DESIGNED FOR COLLECTORS Whether you own one watch or fifty, Oscillo helps you follow changes in each movement’s timing performance over time. Payments and Renewal Oscillo offers limited free use and optional Pro purchases, including subscriptions and a one-time purchase. Payment will be charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your Apple Account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage or turn off auto-renew in your Account settings at any time after purchase. Privacy Policy: https://oscillo.app/privacy Terms of Service: https://oscillo.app/terms

About

TGTimer

Features
Read full description

Get bench-timegrapher accuracy for under £10. Now works with the iPhone's built-in mic — just rest the phone on the watch, no accessory needed. Faster, clearer live readings with a live signal trace. TG Timer does the rest. Designed for watchmakers and enthusiasts who service their own movements, TG Timer measures the rate, beat error, and amplitude of any mechanical watch using autocorrelation analysis of the tick signal — the same technique used by dedicated bench timegraphers costing hundreds of pounds. What It Measures • Rate — seconds gained or lost per day • Beat error — escapement symmetry in milliseconds • Amplitude — balance wheel arc in degrees • BPH — movement frequency, auto-detected or manually set How It Works Rest your iPhone upright with its bottom edge on the watch crystal (dial up), tap play, and follow the quick on-screen guide. A reading builds on screen within a few seconds and keeps refining live as it listens — a live signal trace shows the individual readings settling onto the answer. Leave it running as long as you like; it never times out, so you can be certain the reading is rock-steady. Optional Contact Mic No accessory is needed — but for the strongest signal, especially in a noisy workshop, you can clip on a piezo contact microphone via a USB-C audio adapter. TG Timer detects it automatically. (Search "piezo contact microphone" and "USB-C audio adapter" — typically under £30.) Movement Presets Choose from a built-in library covering ETA, Sellita, Miyota, Seiko, Rolex, Omega, and more. Selecting a preset automatically sets the correct BPH and lift angle for accurate amplitude readings. PDF Reports Generate a clean PDF report with watchmaker and customer details, watch brand and movement, position, notes, and the full rate history chart. Share directly from the app. Designed for the Workshop • Screen stays on during a measurement run • Portrait-locked for stable bench use • Dark interface — easy on the eyes under workshop lighting • No account, no subscription, no data collected

Screenshots

Oscillo4 screens
TGTimer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Oscillo at weekly against TGTimer's every 3 weeks. TGTimer's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Oscillo sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and TGTimer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Oscillo ships an update weekly, TGTimer every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Oscillo versus TGTimer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOscilloTGTimer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (26 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings26 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS26.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size75 MB3 MB
Age rating+44+
DeveloperAttila HalaszNICHOLAS EDWARD WHITE

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Oscillo

Subscriptions2
  • Oscillo Pro Monthly$6.991 Month
  • Oscillo Pro Annual7 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time3
  • Oscillo Pro Lifetime$49.99
  • Founder's Lifetime$49.99
  • Oscillo Pro Lifetime$59.99
1 purchases

TGTimer

One-time1
  • TGTimer Pro$9.99

Questions

Is Oscillo free?
Oscillo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is TGTimer free?
TGTimer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Oscillo or TGTimer have ads?
Neither Oscillo nor TGTimer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Oscillo or TGTimer?
Oscillo ships an update weekly, and TGTimer every 3 weeks. Most recently, Oscillo was updated on October 25, 2026 and TGTimer on October 24, 2026.

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