Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →The right way to “set the time” depends on what you want to change. To correct the Apple Watch’s actual time or time zone, fix the paired iPhone under Settings → General → Date & Time. To make only the watch face appear ahead, use Settings → Clock → +0 min on the watch; you can set it up to 59 minutes fast. For 24-hour time, use the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
Choose the setting you actually need
| What you want | Use this setting |
|---|---|
| Correct a genuinely wrong time or time zone | iPhone Settings → General → Date & Time |
| Make the watch face appear a few minutes fast | Apple Watch Settings → Clock → +0 min |
| Change from 12-hour to 24-hour display | iPhone Apple Watch app → My Watch → Clock → 24-Hour Time |
| See another city’s time | World Clock, a complication, or a multi-time-zone watch face |
The watch-face offset, 24-hour display, and World Clock are display preferences. They do not manually change the underlying actual time used by the Apple Watch.
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How to fix the actual time on Apple Watch
Apple Watch generally gets its actual time from the paired iPhone. You do not normally set the underlying clock directly on the watch.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →- On the paired iPhone, open Settings.
- Tap General, then Date & Time.
- Turn on Set Automatically.
- Check that the displayed time zone is correct.
- Make sure the iPhone has an internet connection and is running current software.
This is the best approach after traveling, during daylight-saving changes, or whenever the watch is an hour or more wrong. Apple’s troubleshooting guidance is available at If you can’t change the time or time zone on your Apple device.
#1 Best Overall
![Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 46mm] Smartwatch with Jet Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band - M/L. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/416RQ0rtsUL._SL160_.jpg)
- A FULL-FEATURED HEALTH TRACKER—Apple Watch Series 11 gives you invaluable insights about your body, right from your wrist. Take an ECG anytime* and get alerts for a high and low heart rate or an irregular rhythm*—so you can stay closer to your heart. You can also view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app* and be notified of possible sleep apnea.*
- KNOW YOUR SLEEP SCORE—With advanced sleep tracking, Series 11 gives you a daily sleep score. It’s an easy way to help measure and understand the quality of your sleep, so you can make it more restorative.
- GET HYPERTENSION NOTIFICATIONS—Did you know that Series 11 can spot signs of chronic high blood pressure? By analyzing how your blood vessels respond to beats of the heart, it can notify you of possible hypertension.*
- SAFETY FEATURES—A smartwatch that puts your safety first. Series 11 can detect a hard fall or severe car crash, automatically help connect you with emergency services, and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- A POWERFUL FITNESS TRACKER—With advanced metrics and motivating features like Pacer, Heart Rate Zones, training load, and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone*—Series 11 is made to help everyone stay active, from runners and hikers to strength-training enthusiasts.
If the iPhone itself shows the wrong time, correcting the watch will not solve the problem. Fix the iPhone first, then give the watch a moment to synchronize.
If automatic time is already enabled
- Turn Set Automatically off, wait briefly, and turn it back on.
- Confirm the iPhone’s time zone rather than checking only the displayed hour.
- Check for available software updates.
- Restart both the iPhone and Apple Watch.
- If necessary, turn off automatic setting and manually select the correct time zone or date and time.
Manual date and time controls may be unavailable in some countries or with some carriers. They can also be restricted by a Screen Time passcode or a corporate/mobile-device-management profile.
Rank #2
![Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 42mm] Smartwatch with Rose Gold Aluminum Case with Light Blush Sport Band - S/M. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31caPPnRysL._SL160_.jpg)
- A FULL-FEATURED HEALTH TRACKER—Apple Watch Series 11 gives you invaluable insights about your body, right from your wrist. Take an ECG anytime* and get alerts for a high and low heart rate or an irregular rhythm*—so you can stay closer to your heart. You can also view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app* and be notified of possible sleep apnea.*
- KNOW YOUR SLEEP SCORE—With advanced sleep tracking, Series 11 gives you a daily sleep score. It’s an easy way to help measure and understand the quality of your sleep, so you can make it more restorative.
- GET HYPERTENSION NOTIFICATIONS—Did you know that Series 11 can spot signs of chronic high blood pressure? By analyzing how your blood vessels respond to beats of the heart, it can notify you of possible hypertension.*
- SAFETY FEATURES—A smartwatch that puts your safety first. Series 11 can detect a hard fall or severe car crash, automatically help connect you with emergency services, and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- A POWERFUL FITNESS TRACKER—With advanced metrics and motivating features like Pacer, Heart Rate Zones, training load, and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone*—Series 11 is made to help everyone stay active, from runners and hikers to strength-training enthusiasts.
How to make the Apple Watch face appear fast
If you want the displayed watch-face time to run ahead—for example, five minutes fast—you can use Apple Watch’s built-in offset.
Recommended Free Tools
- Open Settings on the Apple Watch.
- Tap Clock.
- Tap the current offset, initially shown as +0 min.
- Turn the Digital Crown to choose the number of minutes.
- Tap Done.
The watch face can be set up to 59 minutes ahead. This is only a visual offset for the watch face; it is not a manual adjustment of the Apple Watch’s actual clock. Apple documents the setting in Change the time settings on your Apple Watch.
Rank #3
![Apple Watch SE 3 [GPS 40mm] Smartwatch with Starlight Aluminum Case with Starlight Sport Band - S/M. Fitness and Sleep Trackers, Heart Rate Monitor, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31YiTby0pOL._SL160_.jpg)
- GET SMARTER HEALTH INSIGHTS—Apple Watch SE 3 is an advanced health tracker that helps you better understand your body. The smartwatch sends alerts for an irregular heart rhythm, or an unusually high or low heart rate.* You can view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app,* track your sleep score, and get sleep apnea notifications.*
- A GREAT FITNESS TRACKER—SE 3 can track your workouts in a healthy number of ways—from running and strength training to simply achieving your 10K steps a day. With real-time metrics and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone,* you’ll hit your goals like never before.
- KEEP HELP CLOSE AT HAND—SE 3 is a smartwatch that can detect a hard fall or severe car crash and automatically help connect you to emergency services and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- WOMEN’S HEALTH INSIGHTS—SE 3 has advanced sensors that track your wrist temperature while you sleep. With this smartwatch, you can log your periods and symptoms, get period predictions, and get notified of cycle deviations.*
- GREAT BATTERY LIFE AND FASTER CHARGING—Enjoy a smartwatch with all-day, 18-hour battery life* from sunup to sundown. Then charge up to twice as fast as SE 2* and get up to 8 hours of battery in just 15 minutes.*
How to turn on 24-hour time
Changing to 24-hour time changes the format, not the time itself.
- Open the Apple Watch app on the paired iPhone.
- Tap My Watch.
- Tap Clock.
- Turn on 24-Hour Time.
Depending on your watchOS version, language, or region, labels and layouts may look slightly different. Apple’s current Apple Watch User Guide provides version-specific guidance.
Rank #4
![Apple Watch SE 3 [GPS 40mm] Smartwatch with Midnight Aluminum Case with Midnight Sport Band - S/M. Fitness and Sleep Trackers, Heart Rate Monitor, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31Gq8SToFJL._SL160_.jpg)
- GET SMARTER HEALTH INSIGHTS—Apple Watch SE 3 is an advanced health tracker that helps you better understand your body. The smartwatch sends alerts for an irregular heart rhythm, or an unusually high or low heart rate.* You can view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app,* track your sleep score, and get sleep apnea notifications.*
- A GREAT FITNESS TRACKER—SE 3 can track your workouts in a healthy number of ways—from running and strength training to simply achieving your 10K steps a day. With real-time metrics and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone,* you’ll hit your goals like never before.
- KEEP HELP CLOSE AT HAND—SE 3 is a smartwatch that can detect a hard fall or severe car crash and automatically help connect you to emergency services and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- WOMEN’S HEALTH INSIGHTS—SE 3 has advanced sensors that track your wrist temperature while you sleep. With this smartwatch, you can log your periods and symptoms, get period predictions, and get notified of cycle deviations.*
- GREAT BATTERY LIFE AND FASTER CHARGING—Enjoy a smartwatch with all-day, 18-hour battery life* from sunup to sundown. Then charge up to twice as fast as SE 2* and get up to 8 hours of battery in just 15 minutes.*
How to show another city’s time
For travel or international work, do not use the watch-face offset to represent another location. Keep the main clock synchronized to your current local time and use a World Clock feature instead.
- Add a city in the iPhone Clock app’s World Clock tab.
- Add a World Clock complication to a compatible watch face.
- Use a face designed for multiple time zones, such as GMT or World Time.
See Apple’s instructions for World Clock on iPhone and its guide to Apple Watch faces and their features.
Best Value
![Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 42mm] Smartwatch with Jet Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band - S/M. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41s72HIk5TL._SL160_.jpg)
- A FULL-FEATURED HEALTH TRACKER—Apple Watch Series 11 gives you invaluable insights about your body, right from your wrist. Take an ECG anytime* and get alerts for a high and low heart rate or an irregular rhythm*—so you can stay closer to your heart. You can also view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app* and be notified of possible sleep apnea.*
- KNOW YOUR SLEEP SCORE—With advanced sleep tracking, Series 11 gives you a daily sleep score. It’s an easy way to help measure and understand the quality of your sleep, so you can make it more restorative.
- GET HYPERTENSION NOTIFICATIONS—Did you know that Series 11 can spot signs of chronic high blood pressure? By analyzing how your blood vessels respond to beats of the heart, it can notify you of possible hypertension.*
- SAFETY FEATURES—A smartwatch that puts your safety first. Series 11 can detect a hard fall or severe car crash, automatically help connect you with emergency services, and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- A POWERFUL FITNESS TRACKER—With advanced metrics and motivating features like Pacer, Heart Rate Zones, training load, and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone*—Series 11 is made to help everyone stay active, from runners and hikers to strength-training enthusiasts.
Why your Apple Watch may still show the wrong time
Work through these checks in order:
- The iPhone is wrong: Correct its date, time, and time zone first.
- The time zone is wrong: Automatic time can still produce the wrong local hour if the location or time-zone setting is incorrect.
- Automatic time is disabled: Re-enable Set Automatically.
- The iPhone is offline: Connect it to the internet so it can obtain current time-zone information.
- The devices need to resynchronize: Restart both the iPhone and paired Apple Watch.
- Software is outdated: Install available updates.
- A setting is unavailable or dimmed: Check Screen Time restrictions and any corporate management profile.
Do not manually change the iPhone’s clock as a workaround for an app or game. Incorrect manual time settings can create wrong timestamps and cause unexpected app behavior. If the time remains wrong after these steps, contact Apple Support.
The bottom line
Fix the real time through the paired iPhone’s Date & Time settings. Use the Apple Watch’s Clock → +0 min option only when you want the watch face to appear up to 59 minutes fast, remembering that alarms and notifications still follow actual time. Use 24-hour mode or World Clock separately for display preferences and other locations.
