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

7-day free trial, then a one-time 3.99 EUR unlock code at dialforge.dev. No subscription.

Zulu Julian Ops is a text-only watch face for 1-bit screens. Local time, Zulu time (UTC) and the Julian date on one screen, in high contrast, with nothing decorative in the way.

What you get

  • Big local time, or swap it: big Zulu time with local time in the small row
  • Zulu time in the military style (0755Z)
  • Julian date as YYDDD (26206 = 25 July 2026) and ISO week number
  • Weekday and date, battery level with a small gauge
  • Round subscreen: seconds while the watch is awake, your UTC offset in low power mode
  • No seconds in low power mode, so the face redraws once a minute
  • Dark or light background, 12 or 24 hour format

How it works

Zulu time is taken from the watch clock and its time zone, so it is right as long as the watch time is right. The Julian date and week number are calculated on the watch. Nothing is downloaded, the face needs no permissions and sends no data.

This is a watch face for reading the time. It is not a navigation, flight or mission planning tool.

Settings

In Garmin Connect (phone): layout, time format, seconds, light background, unlock code.

Compatible watches

Instinct 2, 2S, 2X Solar, Instinct 3 Solar 45/50 mm, Instinct E 40/45 mm, Instinct Crossover, Descent G1.

Trial and unlock

Everything works for 7 days. After that the face keeps showing the time with default settings and a small "UNLOCK DIALFORGE.DEV" bar. Your watch ID is shown in the face settings; buy the code for that ID at dialforge.dev and paste it into the settings.

Questions or ideas: kontakt@dialforge.dev

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/zulujulian/ 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 Julian Ops: user manual

What it does

Zulu Julian Ops is a text-only face for 1-bit screens: local time, Zulu time (UTC) in the 0755Z style, the Julian date as YYDDD (26206 = 25 July 2026), the ISO week number, weekday and date, and the battery level with a small gauge. Nothing decorative, maximum contrast.

Requirements and supported watches

Needs Connect IQ 3.2.0+ and the Connect IQ or Garmin Connect phone app. Supported watches (all with a 1-bit screen):

  • Instinct 2 family: Instinct 2, 2 Solar, Dual Power and dezl Edition (176 x 176), Instinct 2S, 2S Solar and Dual Power (163 x 156), Instinct 2X Solar (176 x 176).
  • Instinct 3 Solar 45 mm and 50 mm, Instinct E 40 mm and 45 mm.
  • Instinct Crossover.
  • Descent G1 and G1 Solar.

All of them have a 1-bit MIP screen. Instinct Crossover has no subscreen, so the face draws a plain circle in that corner. The physical hands of the Crossover cover the middle of the screen.

Installation

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

First launch

Big local time with Zulu time in a small row above it, Julian date and week number under a line, battery at the bottom. The round subscreen shows seconds while the watch is awake, and your UTC offset (for example +2) otherwise. 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 are on the phone only.

Touch watches (tap, hold, swipe)

  • None of the supported watches has a touch screen. The face has no touch actions.

Settings

Phone only: Connect IQ app, Zulu Julian Ops, Settings. The face has no settings menu on the watch.

  • Layout: Local time big, Zulu small (default), or Zulu time big, local small.
  • Time format: Automatic (follows the watch setting), 12-hour, 24-hour. Default: Automatic.
  • Seconds when the watch is active: on or off. Default: on.
  • Light background: on or off (dark text on a light screen). Default: off.
  • Watch ID (for the unlock code): read-only, you need it to buy the code.
  • Unlock code from dialforge.dev: paste the code here.
  • Seconds are shown only while the watch is awake after a wrist gesture. In low power mode there are no seconds and the face redraws once a minute.
  • Zulu time comes from the watch clock and its time zone, so it is right as long as the watch time is right.
  • The Julian date and the week number are calculated on the watch.

License

  • Trial: 7 days from the first launch, everything works.
  • Price: 3.99 EUR once at dialforge.dev, no subscription. The 8-character code is tied to your watch ID. The all-faces pack code also works.
  • Where to enter it: phone, Connect IQ app, Zulu Julian Ops, Settings. Read the ID in "Watch ID (for the unlock code)", buy the code, then paste it into "Unlock code from dialforge.dev".
  • After the trial without a code: settings return to defaults and a small UNLOCK DIALFORGE.DEV bar appears. Time and data keep working.

Privacy and permissions

Permissions: none. The manifest is empty. The face does not use GPS, does not connect to the internet and sends no data. Nothing is collected.

It reads only the battery level and the watch clock.

Troubleshooting

The code does not work. Check that the watch ID you bought for matches "Watch ID (for the unlock code)" 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.

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

Where are the seconds? Turn on "Seconds when the watch is active" in the settings, then raise your wrist. Seconds never show in low power mode.

12-hour or 24-hour? Set "Time format" in the settings. Automatic follows the watch.

What is Zulu time? Zulu is UTC, written without a colon and with a Z, for example 0755Z. The face reads it from the watch clock, not from the internet.

This is a watch face for reading the time, not a navigation, flight or mission planning tool.

Contact

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

Permissions and privacy

This product does not use the internet and sends no data to our servers.

Unlock

€3.99

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 Julian Ops > 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 Julian Ops€3.99Unlock