Fenix 5 timekeeping is not accurate

Firstly, this is a user forum so not likely that you will get a Garmin response.  The issue of time accuracy has come up in the forum(s) from the days of the first Fenix (and others I suspect).  The watch is not classified as a chronometer (which does actually have real specs against the term - surprisingly up to +6 seconds/day for a mechanical chronometer - much less for a crystal).  These watches do not use a crystal oscillator so, running constantly, it will be less accurate over time than an old cheap timex with a crystal.  Even when it sets the time using GPS there may be a small delay due to, I assume, processing, and then it is the processor that keeps time.  This design (no crystal) is the trade-off to space and power and I personally think it makes sense as I don't care about a few seconds here and there and I use a GPS activity more than enough to prevent it becoming way off.

As far as I'm aware, the watch does not get time information from the phone (and this would introduce similar transmitting and processing delays).   Way back I remember a thread on how much time was lost/gained per day and it was different for everyone who compared but was often a couple of seconds a day.   So, unless you find it losing/gaining minutes a day, it is what it is!

This forum is created by Garmin run on Garmin servers and run by Garmin, so I was hoping that Garmin would comment on this.

razmichael said:

I use a GPS activity more than enough to prevent it becoming way off.

How exactly do you do this?

I am very familiar with timekeeping and if you are stating that the Fenix doesn't use a crystal then I would be interested to know how it telles time.  The could explain why so many time base calculations are so inaccurate, i.e. pace, etc.. What does it use?  Garmin advertise it as a watch so it should not loose any seconds when it is connected to a phone or within 12 hours of accessing GPS data.

The delay is reading the GPS information is at the core of how GPS devices work, but for the purposes of setting a watch to the correct second, that delay is insignificant and the delay in reading the time form a phone is insignificant.

The issue is that the Fenix doesn't appear to sync itself with the device that it is supposed to be synced with and read the latest time. If that is the case that that is a very major issue for anyone who is interested in time keeping.

This forum is created by Garmin run on Garmin servers and run by Garmin, so I was hoping that Garmin would comment on this.

Keep hoping.  

Garmin advertise it as a watch so it should not loose any seconds when it is connected to a phone or within 12 hours of accessing GPS data.

Don't see anywhere the definition of a watch that includes "it should not loose any seconds".  Every watch does - just a question of how much.  As I noted, even the international standards for Chronometers allows a 6 sec/day gain (but, as noted much less for a electronic one) - but the Fenix is not classified as a Chronometer.  Show me where (and happy to be corrected) Garmin states that the watch gets time from a connected phone.  Also explain where you get "within 12 hours of accessing GPS data".  As soon as it gets a time from GPS (or even manually set) it will begin to lose/gain time - again just a question of how much. that along with the way it updates it's time from the GPS signal result in it being slightly off to begin with and then drift from there.  

I am very familiar with timekeeping and if you are stating that the Fenix doesn't use a crystal then I would be interested to know how it telles time.

How does your computer keep time (or most standard computers)?  Ever checked how much your computer clock will drift if not getting time from a time server on a regular basis?  Even this has inherent errors depending on the time protocol being used based on network transmission delays.

The could explain why so many time base calculations are so inaccurate, i.e. pace, etc..

Mixing up things.  Daily drift or error in clock display time  has no impact on things like pace calculations in an activity related to GPS calculations handled by the GPS chip.  Manually set the time to anything you want and this does not screw up GPS based data.

The issue is that the Fenix doesn't appear to sync itself with the device that it is supposed to be synced with and read the latest time. If that is the case that that is a very major issue for anyone who is interested in time keeping.

I'm not really sure what you mean by "anyone interested in time keeping" nor, as I mentioned, under the impression that it is supposed to get time from a connected phone. 

I don't really think I can add anything else to this discussion.  As I said last time "it is what it is" you need to decide why you need more accurate time than the Fenix can give you - if so, it is not the watch for you. Unless you say your watch is losing minutes a day, I don't think Garmin is going to classify your 3 seconds off as a bug or fault.  Next time you sync to GPS it might start as .3 seconds off??!!

The Fenix 5x is a GPS-synchronized watch. GPS-Time is the most accurate timebase worldwide.

Start your watch and use GPS and you will have a precise and accurate time.