Tick-Tach: A DIY Timegrapher Microphone for Watch Enthusiasts

Mechanical watches may seem timeless, but keeping them accurate requires precise adjustment. That’s where a timegrapher comes in. Traditionally a tool for professional watchmakers, a timegrapher measures the tiny variations in a watch’s ticking to reveal how well its movement is performing.

What a Timegrapher Does

At its core, a timegrapher listens to the tick-tock of a mechanical watch and turns that sound into data. The key readings are:

• Rate – how many seconds the watch gains or loses per day.
• Amplitude – the swing of the balance wheel, an indicator of movement power.
• Beat Error – how evenly spaced the tick and tock are, showing whether the balance is centred.

Together, these measurements tell whether a watch is healthy, in need of regulation, or due for service.

The Tick-Tach Approach

Tick-Tach is a DIY project that recreates the essential functions of a timegrapher using simple, accessible parts. Instead of an expensive acoustic sensor, Tick-Tach relies on a 30mm piezoelectric microphone to detect the faint vibrations of a watch. The weak signal is amplified with a transistor-based preamp before being processed into meaningful timing data.

Unlike commercial probes, Tick-Tach’s electronics are housed in a custom 3D-printed enclosure. The case (shown above) is designed with a circular recess for the watch to rest on, a cavity for the 30mm piezo sensor, a neatly integrated preamp board, and a headphone-style jack for easy connection. A hair bobble is integrated into the case to retain the watch when rotating, during different position tests.

Tick-Tach is also software compatible, working with the open-source “tg-timer”, "PC Timer Machine" application on PC and the "Watch Accuracy Meter" app on Android (with a TRRS adapter jack to split to Mic/Headphones). This allows users to visualise live waveforms, track performance, and adjust their watches using the platform they prefer.

TRRS Microphone adapter jack for Android/Apple tablets and phones.

Why It Matters

For hobbyists, modders, and independent watch repairer's, commercial telegrapher's can be costly. Tick-Tach lowers the barrier, offering enthusiasts a practical way to check accuracy, regulate their watches, and better understand the mechanics inside. It’s also a rewarding build for anyone into electronics, 3D printing, and horology.

With its smart enclosure and open-source software compatibility, Tick-Tach bridges the gap between professional watchmaking tools and the DIY workshop.

Technical Notes & Tips

• Apple device compatibility: Some iPhones expect a load on the microphone input of the TRRS socket. A 10 kΩ resistor between ground and mic output may be needed to “wake” the input. In some cases, mic and ground may also be reversed on the connector.

• Mono signal: The piezo pickup is mono, but this makes no difference to the timegrapher’s performance, since the software only needs a single channel of clean input. Using a standard TRRS mic/headphones adaptor may present it as dual mono, but in practice the analysis works the same.

• Piezo pickup behaviour: Unlike air microphones, the piezo disc works mainly by sensing vibration transmitted through contact with the watch case. The downside is that piezo sensors are very microphonic — they can pick up knocks, cable movement, or handling noise, so careful placement and housing design help reduce unwanted signals.

Why Tick-Tach Stands Out

• Affordable yet accurate: Avoids the cost of commercial telegraphers while delivering reliable data.

• Open-source friendly: Works with the tg software on PC and Watch Accuracy Meter on Android for versatile use.

• Maker-centric UX: 3D-printed housing, component-level transparency, and customization potential.

• Educational and empowering: A practical electronics, signal-processing, and horology project that helps build understanding while enabling real diagnostic capability.

Recorded sound samples below: 

Miyota 8215 21600 bpm, Accurist 1950 18000 bpm, Smiths Pocket 14400 bpm