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Roughly, the time in words

by Iain Anderson more by this developer →

#178,918 of 719,896 by ratings on Apple · #13,559 of 60,382 in Utilities

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Category: Utilities

Description

"Roughly" is a Watch complication, for Modular and many other watch faces, that tells you the approximate time, in words. Times are given to the nearest five minutes: "it's about ten to six", "it's about quarter past three", or "it's about five o'clock". Accurate but imprecise, it's a "fuzzy clock".

Roughly is meant to be fun, but can also be useful for those with dyscalculia (numeric dyslexia) or for the lazy. When you're asked what the time is, you can just read it out.

Roughly can be shown in the large central area of any Modular watch face, and in a single line of text on many other watch faces, including Activity Analog, Utility, Motion, Photo, Mickey or Minnie. Please note that on the single line complication, the hour may be shown as a digit if there is insufficient space for a word. For example, "TWENTY FIVE PAST 12" may be shown rather than "TWENTY FIVE PAST TWELVE". This is more common on a smaller Watch, and if it's an issue for you, please use a Modular face instead.

NEW: You can now tap the Roughly complication to change the language.

## Instructions

The iPhone app only displays an image. To load Roughly, install the iPhone app, then wait for it to install on your paired Apple Watch, or install it manually through the Watch app on your iPhone.

Tap and hold on the watch face to change it, then switch to the Modular face, or a face which supports a single line of text. Press Customize, then activate the Middle complication on Modular or the Bottom or Below Time complication on another face. Choose Roughly from the list there, then press the digital crown twice to return to the watch face.

## NOTE: Sorry for the delay between releases; I was unable to post an update due to issues with App Store backend systems that have now been resolved.

P.S. if you are interested in video editing with Final Cut Pro, please check out my book at fcpefficientediting.com.

## Many thanks to these translators:
Mohammed Al-Noury @momo_alnoury
Leo Hans @twleohans
Felix Schenk
Michael Kurath @michaelkurath
Tom K
Dave @Deloextra
Tom Schrier @Fantazy_cow
Matyáš Strelec @matyasstrelec
Du The Hao (Kelvin Du) duthehao@icloud.com
Oros Imre

If you find any errors in translation, please let me know.

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Tracking since 09/05/2026. History accumulates as changes are observed — check back soon.