---
pageid: cmd.clock
title: clock
layout: docs
section: Commands
permalink: docs/cmd/clock.html
---

Returns the current clock value for a watched root.

*Since 3.9.*

*The [capability](/watchman/docs/capabilities.html) name associated with this
enhanced functionality is `clock-sync-timeout`.*

`sync_timeout` specifies the number of milliseconds that you want to
wait to observe a synchronization cookie.  The synchronization cookie
is created at the start of your clock call and, once the cookie is
observed, means that the clock value returned by this command is at
least as current as the time of your clock call.

If no `sync_timeout` is specified, the returned clock value is the
instantaneous value of the clock associated with the watched root, and
may be almost immediately invalidated if there are any filesystem
notifications that are yet to be processed.

```bash
$ watchman clock /path/to/dir
```

JSON:

Note the third options argument is optional.

```json
["clock", "/path/to/dir", {"sync_timeout": 100}]
```
