What is Swatch Internet Time?
Swatch Internet Time (or Biel Mean Time) is a decimal time concept introduced in 1998. It eliminates time zones by using a universal reference.
Instead of dividing the day into 24 hours and 60 minutes, the day is split into 1000 .beats.
- 1 Day = 1000 .beats
- 1 .beat = 1 minute 26.4 seconds
- Universal: It is the same time everywhere.
Conversion Reference Table
| Beats (@) | Standard Time (UTC+1) | Description |
|---|---|---|
| @000 | 00:00 (Midnight) | Start of new day |
| @250 | 06:00 | Early Morning |
| @500 | 12:00 (Noon) | Midday |
| @750 | 18:00 | Evening |
| @999 | 23:59:59 | End of day |
* Note: The reference time is based on the Swatch headquarters in Biel, Switzerland (CET/BMT).