7 days free on every face · one-time code · no subscription
DIALFORGE
Zulu Chrono

7-day free trial, then a one-time 4.49 EUR unlock code at dialforge.dev. No subscription.

Zulu Chrono: a pilot-style digital chronograph. Local time and UTC (Zulu), always on screen together.

Features:

  • Big local time with seconds and the date, plus a UTC line marked with Z.
  • Optional second time zone (Off, or any offset from UTC-12 to UTC+14) on a small third line.
  • Round watches get an outer 24-hour bezel ring with a pointer marking the current UTC hour.
  • On square and rectangular watches, UTC sits in a band above the local time.
  • Two rows, 4 fields you choose from 45 data types (or leave empty): pressure, altitude, sunrise, sunset, heart rate, steps, battery, body battery, stress, VO2 max and more.
  • Pressure shown in hPa or inHg, your choice.
  • Accent color, seconds on or off, interface language (auto, English or Polish).
  • Tuned for AMOLED (dim, shifted always-on mode) and for MIP displays.

A convenience display for reading two time zones and a few numbers at a glance. Not an aviation or navigation instrument, and not for flight planning or navigation.

Data fields: heart rate, steps, battery, distance, calories, floors, active minutes, body battery, stress, altitude, notifications, solar, battery days, temperature, sunrise, sunset, next sunrise/sunset, respiration, pulse ox, recovery time, pressure, resting heart rate, VO2 max, sleep score, training status, 5K prediction, next event, weekly run distance, moon phase, week number, day of year.

Since 1.2.0: new data to choose from: weather with icon, wind, humidity, UV, chance of rain, active calories, alarms, phone connection, do not disturb, move bar, 10K, half and full marathon predictions, cycling VO2 max, weekly ride distance and a second time zone (a fixed UTC offset, no daylight saving); time format (12/24 h) and leading zero settings; 10 color sets (3 new) and a Popular list with the sets other users pick most; on touchscreen watches, touch and hold a field to open its screen.

Garmin does not give watch faces access to HRV status or Training Readiness, so no Connect IQ watch face can show them.

Code not working? Write to kontakt@dialforge.dev and we fix it or refund you.

Settings: on the watch (hold MENU, then Watch face, then Customize) or in the Connect IQ app.

Popular color sets: for that list only an anonymous color number is sent.

A little request from the maker

Dialforge is my student project. I build these watch faces after classes, so they are still at an early stage, and I could not test every watch model myself. If something looks wrong on your watch, please do not leave a negative rating: write to me first at https://dialforge.dev/faces/zuluchrono/ and I will fix it, usually within 24 hours. A kind review means more to me than you can imagine. And if you like my work, you can buy me a coffee (the link is at the bottom of dialforge.dev): I am saving up to pay for my studies. Thank you for your patience and for giving a young developer a chance.

Manual

Zulu Chrono: user manual

What it does

Zulu Chrono is a pilot-style face: local time, UTC with a Z, two rows of two fields and an optional second time zone. Round watches add a 24-hour UTC ring.

Requirements and supported watches

Needs Connect IQ 3.3.0+ and the Connect IQ or Garmin Connect phone app. Supported watches:

  • Round AMOLED: epix 2 and epix Pro 2, fēnix 8, E, Forerunner 165, 265, 570, 965, 970, Instinct 3 AMOLED, Crossover AMOLED, Venu 2, 3, 4, vivoactive 5, 6.
  • Round MIP: enduro 3, fēnix 7 series, 8 Solar, Forerunner 55, 245, 255, vivoactive 4.
  • Square and rectangular AMOLED: Venu Sq 2, Venu X1.

Installation

In the Connect IQ app on your phone (or Garmin Connect, then the Connect IQ Store) find "Zulu Chrono" by Dialforge, tap Install and sync the watch. Then hold the watch face (or the menu button), choose Watch Face and select Zulu Chrono.

First launch

Date, local time, UTC, pressure, altitude, sunrise, sunset. Seconds on, hPa. The 7-day trial starts the first time the face runs.

Controls

Watches with buttons (START, UP, DOWN, BACK)

  • No actions of its own. Settings: menu button (UP), Watch Face, Customize.

Touch watches (tap, hold, swipe)

  • Touch and hold a data field to open Garmin's screen for it. No matching screen, nothing happens.
  • Touch spots: all four fields in the two rows.

Settings

Watch: menu button, Watch Face, Customize. Phone: Connect IQ app, Zulu Chrono, Settings (code fields only there).

  • Row 1, left field, Row 1, right field, Row 2, left field, Row 2, right field: each shows one of 45 data types, from heart rate to weather, or stays empty. Defaults in that order: Pressure, Altitude, Sunrise, Sunset.
  • Pressure unit: hPa, inHg. Default: hPa.
  • Accent color: 10 color sets, White to Lime. Default: Teal. The watch menu adds "Popular", the sets others pick most.
  • Seconds: on or off. Default: on.
  • Time format: Automatic (watch setting), 12-hour, 24-hour. Default: Automatic.
  • Second time zone: fixed UTC offset, UTC-12 to UTC+14 with half-hour zones, no automatic daylight saving.
  • Date language: Automatic, English, Polski. Default: Automatic. It keeps working after the trial.
  • Pressure unit applies when a field shows pressure.
  • The second time zone appears as a T2 line under the rows.

License

  • Trial: 7 days from the first launch, everything works.
  • Price: 4.49 EUR once at dialforge.dev, no subscription. The 8-character code is tied to your watch's UID.
  • Where to enter it: phone, Connect IQ app, Zulu Chrono, Settings. Read the UID in "UID (dialforge.dev)", buy the code, then type it into "Unlock code".
  • After the trial without a code: settings return to defaults (the language setting stays) and UNLOCK DIALFORGE.DEV appears at the bottom. Time and data keep working.

Privacy and permissions

Permissions:

  • Sensor history: recent body battery, stress and similar values.
  • User profile: data like max heart rate and units.
  • Complications: Garmin's own data for the fields.
  • Background service: a periodic task.
  • Internet: only for the color service below.

Color service (only faces with a color choice): every 6 hours the watch asks dialforge.dev for the popular color sets (the request carries only the face name). If you changed the set meanwhile, it also sends the set number and face version. No UID, e-mail or location.

Troubleshooting

The code does not work. Check that the UID you bought for matches "UID (dialforge.dev)" and type all 8 characters (case is ignored, no 0, O, 1 or I). A code for another face does not fit. Sync, then reopen.

A field shows --. The watch has no value for it right now: it may need a sensor reading, a connected phone (weather), a Garmin feature turned on, or a newer watch. The face never invents numbers.

Battery drain? Seconds are drawn only while the watch is awake, in low-power mode the face redraws once a minute.

What does always-on look like? On AMOLED, always-on shows only local time and the UTC line, dimmed and shifted every minute. MIP watches have no separate always-on mode.

12-hour or 24-hour? Automatic follows the watch's 12/24-hour setting. You can force 12 or 24 hours in the settings.

Contact

kontakt@dialforge.dev or dialforge.dev. Please write before leaving a low rating.

Permissions and privacy

This product asks the watch for the permissions below. Connect IQ shows them when you install it.

  • Sensor history: Reads recent values stored by the watch (for example Body Battery, stress, heart rate, steps trend).
  • Your profile: Reads your Garmin profile on the watch (for example age, weight, heart rate zones) to calculate values for you.
  • Watch data (complications): Shows data from other watch features, such as battery or steps, on the face.
  • Background process: Lets the app run short tasks in the background, for example reminders.
  • Internet through the phone: Lets the watch make a web request through your phone. Used only for the colour service described below.

Popular colour sets service

Every 6 hours the face downloads the list of popular colour sets from dialforge.dev. If you changed the colour set, it also sends that set's number. The request contains only the number, the face name and the face version. It contains no watch ID, no unlock code and no e-mail. We count choices, not people. Details: privacy policy.

Unlock

€4.49

One-time payment. No subscription. The code works on the watch whose UID you enter.

  1. Install the face from the Connect IQ store. It is free for 7 days.
  2. Find your 10-digit UID: Connect IQ app on the phone > My Device > Watch faces > Zulu Chrono > Settings (first field).
  3. Enter UID and e-mail, pay with PayPal (cards work without a PayPal account). The code appears here at once.
  4. Type the code into the same settings page, field "Unlock code". The watch checks it offline.

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Tell us how to make it better

Missing a data field, a colour, a layout? Found a bug on your watch model? Write it here. We read every message and ship improvements in updates.

Zulu Chrono€4.49Unlock