Why the Apple Watch Is the Most Accurate Timepiece
It isn’t easy to be the most accurate watch in the world. Here are a few reasons Apple delivers the most accurate watch on the market.
To support the Watch, Apple built a Network Time Protocol (NTP) that operates using servers located in different locations. Those servers ensure that the time that appears on the Apple Watch is as close to Stratum 1 accuracy as possible. The second hand on the watch is perfectly in sync with the second hand on every other Apple Watch. Each device is accurate down to 50 milliseconds of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). While one Apple Watch may be a tiny amount off from another, they’re so close that no human can perceive the difference. The time on the Watch comes from atomic clocks, which measure time using the resonant frequency of a cesium atom—an atomic element—which works out the seconds. The time is served to GPS satellites that orbit the Earth, where high-precision time is used to determine location. That time is broadcast to servers deployed around the world to receive the signals from GPS satellites and share the time with a time server, which in turn communicates with the watches. Apple tested the Apple Watch in a variety of weather conditions to ensure its accuracy everywhere. The watch adjusts in cold weather, a situation where watches are often less accurate, to ensure it maintains a consistent time. The Apple Watch team used high-speed cameras to test the accuracy of the Apple Watch. The team filmed the screen at 1,000 frames per second, ensuring that each watch has millisecond precision. That precise time comes from an atomic clock within the Apple testing lab.
Exceptional Accuracy
All that together makes for one exceptionally accurate timepiece. Next time you try to decide which of your friends has the most accurate cellphone or watch time, throw out a few of these facts about your Apple Watch, you’re likely to win the argument every time.
