General

Why a 24-hour analog clock?

Time-lapse photo tracing the sun's arc across the sky from sunrise to sunset above a bare tree and green coastal hills

Understand how our app is different. It’s not just another productivity app.

In the beginning, we had sun dials. A stick in the sand, and a shadow that you tracked as it moved around that. Noon was really easy to see, because that is the moment the sun was directly above the stick.

Somehow, we got stuck on that idea. By the time we invented clocks, noon stayed in the top position, the moment where the day is split in two. And we ended up with two 12-hour dials, one for each half of the day.

But when you look at all 24 hours at once and split the day into day and night, this division starts looking a bit odd. Our days don’t work like that. We experience a few hours of the first dial in the morning (am) and then most of the rest of our day in the evening (pm)

Three 24-hour clock faces, each cut into AM and PM halves by a red line: through 12 and 24, through 6 and 18, and through 9 and 21

In a way it would make more sense for our days to be split into a day dial and a night dial. In this case, 6 would be at the top of each clock instead of 12. And if you want to take this logic even further, since the advent of electrical lighting, we could have, say, 9 at the top and split our days into when we are generally awake and when we are asleep.

The real question, however, is why have two dials in the first place? Why not just one?

One dial for your whole day

Until recently, 24 hour dials were found only on the wrists of pilots who needed a quick way to see time zones, or submariners who could not know, deep underwater, whether it was noon or midnight. 24hour.info has more historical detail and examples.

There’s been a resurgence of interest in them lately. The dial is not too hard to get used to if you simply think of the hour hand as the sun moving across the horizon.

Four panels of a sun circling a dial: left at 6 in the morning, top at 12 noon, right at 18 in the evening, bottom at 24 midnight

The hour hand on a 24 hour analog watch follows the sun’s natural movement across the horizon

This brings certain advantages when applied to a calendar, which Weel makes use of. First of all, you can see your entire day at once, not just parts of it.

Vertical calendar strip where red lines mark the visible window, leaving two events outside it, beside a 24-hour ring showing all three

Linear calendars can lead you to miss appointments very early or late in the day.

It’s also, as noted by the pilots of yore, a great way to get your head around time zones.

Dark 24-hour dial centered on NOW, Mon Mar 21, with blue appointment blocks and colored hands including ones labeled LOC and AUC

Weel’s time zone feature which shows both time zones and your appointments at once

The 24 hour dial is a very logical and useful way to see time. Our only obstacle to common usage is the historical baggage of the 12 hour dial. If we could redesign time from scratch today, this would probably be it.

BONUS: If you’re interested in modern-style 24 hour analog watches, they exist too! Our favorites are made by Slow and Botta Design.

Get the app today!

Our app makes your schedule tangible and easy to grasp, offering a clearer picture of your responsibilities. And, while it’s great for ADHD, it’s also powerful for anyone who wants a smarter way to manage their time.

Perfect for everyone:

Whether you’re a professional juggling meetings, a parent managing your family’s activities, or a student balancing school and social life, Weel ADHD planner makes time management simpler. Its visual approach helps anyone manage their time better. Available on iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, our app ensures you’re always connected to your schedule.

Stay organized:

Your all-in-one solution for time management. Its 24-hour analog watchface and flexible customization make it a fresh, visual, and easy-to-use app. Upgrade for advanced scheduling features and support our development team.

Key features of our ADHD planner app
  • Stay on top of your schedule: The 24-hour analog watchface allows you to see your entire day at a glance, helping you focus on upcoming tasks and avoid losing track of time before important events.
  • Plan ahead: Attach notes or checklists to events so you remember exactly what to prepare for meetings or appointments.
  • Factor in travel time: ADHD planner helps you account for travel between events, so you avoid scheduling conflicts and always arrive on time.
  • Manage time zones easily: Simplify scheduling for international meetings or travel plans without the confusion.
  • Customizable for your needs: highly configurable, allowing you to tailor the app to your own preferences and organize your day your way.
  • Widgets & Apple Watch compatibility: With customizable widgets and Apple Watch integration, it helps you visualize your entire day with the power of its unique 24-hour watchface.

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