Troubleshooting, tips, and answers to common questions.
Place your mechanical watch face-down near your iPhone's microphone. Tap Start. Tickscope will auto-detect the beat rate and begin measuring within 5-15 seconds. Keep the watch still and the room quiet for the best results.
On most iPhones, the primary microphone is on the bottom edge, next to the Lightning or USB-C port. Place your watch caseback-down on a hard surface, close to this area.
Yes. iPad microphones are typically on the top edge or near the camera. You may need to experiment with positioning. For best results on iPad, try using AirPods or an external microphone.
Any mechanical watch (automatic or manual wind) with a beat rate between 18,000 and 36,000 bph. Quartz watches are not supported — they don't produce the audible tick-tock pattern that Tickscope analyzes.
This usually means the environment is too noisy or the watch is too far from the microphone. Try: moving to a quieter room, placing the watch directly on the table next to the mic, and making sure no fans, music, or conversation are nearby. Hard surfaces transmit sound better than soft ones.
This can happen with very inaccurate watches (running more than 100+ seconds per day fast or slow). Try placing the watch closer to the microphone and ensuring the room is as quiet as possible. The app will attempt to re-acquire the signal automatically.
Beat error requires approximately 15-20 seconds of stable measurement before it can be calculated. This is normal — the app needs enough data to accurately measure the tiny timing difference between tick and tock.
Rate stabilizes over the course of the measurement. The first 15 seconds may show fluctuation as the algorithm converges. Let the full 60-second measurement complete for the most accurate reading. If results vary significantly between runs, try a quieter environment.
Amplitude measurement requires a clear signal with distinct lift-time detection. It may not appear for all watches, especially those with very quiet movements or unusual escapement designs. This is not a fault — some watches simply don't produce a strong enough secondary impulse for acoustic amplitude measurement.
Tap "Change" next to the detected beat rate to manually select the correct one. If you know your watch's beat rate (check the movement specifications), selecting it manually will give you the most accurate results.
What it means: How many seconds your watch gains (+) or loses (-) per day. Good: within ±5 s/d is excellent. ±10 s/d is good. ±20 s/d is acceptable for most mechanical watches. COSC certification requires -4 to +6 s/d.
What it means: The symmetry of the tick and tock. A perfectly regulated watch has 0.0 ms beat error. Good: below 0.5 ms is excellent. Below 1.0 ms is healthy. Above 1.5 ms may indicate the movement could benefit from regulation.
What it means: How far the balance wheel swings, indicating mainspring energy. Good: 270-310° is healthy for a fully wound watch. Below 250° may indicate low power reserve or a movement needing service. Above 320° may indicate over-banking.
Gravity affects a mechanical watch differently depending on its orientation. Testing in Dial Up, Dial Down, Crown Up, Crown Down, Crown Left, and Crown Right gives a complete picture of how your movement performs. Rate variation between positions is normal — the spread between your best and worst positions tells you about the overall regulation quality.
25 free measurements. After that, you can unlock unlimited measurements for a one-time purchase of $4.99. No subscriptions, no recurring charges.
Go to Settings → Purchases → Restore Purchases. Make sure you're signed in with the same Apple ID you used for the original purchase.
Try tapping "Restore Purchases" in Settings. If that doesn't work, make sure you're signed in with the correct Apple ID. Purchases may take a few minutes to sync across devices.
A quiet room is essential. Even a fan or air conditioning can interfere with tick detection. Late at night or early morning often works best.
Place the watch caseback-down on a hard, flat surface right next to your phone's microphone. Hard surfaces (wood, stone, glass) transmit sound much better than soft surfaces (fabric, carpet).
60 seconds is ideal. You can extend by 30 seconds during measurement if needed. Shorter measurements may show more variability in the rate reading.
For the most meaningful comparisons, try to measure in the same environment and conditions each time. Temperature, power reserve level, and position all affect timing.