Stopwatch

Measure elapsed time with start, stop, reset, and lap controls — showing hours, minutes, seconds, and centiseconds.

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Online Stopwatch

Stopwatch online: precision timing with laps and centiseconds

The online stopwatch measures elapsed time with centisecond (one-hundredth of a second) precision, displayed in H:MM:SS.cc format. Start, stop, and reset with a single click, and record individual lap times that appear in a sortable table below the main display. No installation required — the stopwatch runs entirely in your browser.

How the stopwatch works

When you press Start, the stopwatch records the current timestamp from the browser's high-resolution timer (performance.now()), which is accurate to sub-millisecond precision. Every 10 milliseconds an interval updates the display by subtracting the recorded start timestamp from the current timestamp. When you press Stop, the elapsed time is saved. Pressing Start again resumes from the saved value by adjusting the reference timestamp.

Pressing Lap records the current elapsed time as a lap entry without stopping the stopwatch. The split time (time from the previous lap to this one) and the cumulative time are both recorded. The fastest and slowest lap splits are highlighted in the lap table for easy identification.

Elapsed time = Current timestamp − Start timestamp + Previously saved time

Recalculated every 10 ms; displayed as H:MM:SS.cc.

Lap split = Current cumulative time − Previous lap cumulative time

The time taken for one lap or interval alone.

Practical uses and tips

Athletes use the stopwatch to time training runs, swimming lengths, or cycling intervals. The lap function is ideal for circuit training: press Lap at the end of each exercise set to record split times without stopping the overall clock.

For cooking, the stopwatch is useful when you need to time multiple elements simultaneously — start the stopwatch when the first item goes into the oven and press Lap each time another item is added or checked. Developers and testers use the stopwatch to manually benchmark user interface operations. For presentations, the stopwatch helps you stay on time by tracking cumulative elapsed time rather than counting down from a fixed limit.

Frequently asked questions

How accurate is the online stopwatch?

The stopwatch uses the browser's performance.now() API, which provides sub-millisecond resolution. The display updates every 10 milliseconds (centiseconds), making it accurate enough for most sports, cooking, and timing tasks. For laboratory-grade precision (microseconds), a dedicated hardware timer is required.

Will the stopwatch continue if I switch tabs?

Yes. The elapsed time is calculated from stored timestamps, not a running counter, so switching tabs does not affect accuracy. The display may not update visually while in the background (browsers throttle repaints), but when you return to the tab the correct elapsed time is shown immediately.

Can I record lap times?

Yes. Press the Lap button while the stopwatch is running. Each press records the current cumulative time and calculates the split (time since the last lap). All laps are displayed in a table below the main clock. The stopwatch continues running normally between laps.

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