diff --git a/src/blocks/tea_timer.rs b/src/blocks/tea_timer.rs
index 12771bb10c..bf4a187fcf 100644
--- a/src/blocks/tea_timer.rs
+++ b/src/blocks/tea_timer.rs
@@ -4,18 +4,21 @@
 //!
 //! Key | Values | Default
 //! ----|--------|--------
-//! `format` | A string to customise the output of this block. See below for available placeholders. | <code>\" $icon {$minutes:$seconds \|}\"</code>
+//! `format` | A string to customise the output of this block. See below for available placeholders. | <code>\" $icon {$time.duration(hms:true) \|}\"</code>
 //! `increment` | The numbers of seconds to add each time the block is clicked. | 30
 //! `done_cmd` | A command to run in `sh` when timer finishes. | None
 //!
-//! Placeholder      | Value                                                          | Type   | Unit
-//! -----------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|--------|---------------
-//! `icon`           | A static icon                                                  | Icon   | -
-//! `hours`          | The hours remaining on the timer                               | Text   | h
-//! `minutes`        | The minutes remaining on the timer                             | Text   | mn
-//! `seconds`        | The seconds remaining on the timer                             | Text   | s
+//! Placeholder            | Value                                                          | Type     | Unit
+//! -----------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------|---------------
+//! `icon`                 | A static icon                                                  | Icon     | -
+//! `time`                 | The time remaining on the timer                                | Duration | -
+//! `hours` *DEPRECATED*   | The hours remaining on the timer                               | Text     | h
+//! `minutes` *DEPRECATED* | The minutes remaining on the timer                             | Text     | mn
+//! `seconds` *DEPRECATED* | The seconds remaining on the timer                             | Text     | s
 //!
-//! `hours`, `minutes`, and `seconds` are unset when the timer is inactive.
+//! `time`, `hours`, `minutes`, and `seconds` are unset when the timer is inactive.
+//!
+//! `hours`, `minutes`, and `seconds` have been deprecated in favor of `time`.
 //!
 //! Action      | Default button
 //! ------------|---------------
@@ -37,13 +40,14 @@
 
 use super::prelude::*;
 use crate::subprocess::spawn_shell;
-use chrono::{Duration, Utc};
+
+use std::time::{Duration, Instant};
 
 #[derive(Deserialize, Debug, SmartDefault)]
 #[serde(deny_unknown_fields, default)]
 pub struct Config {
     pub format: FormatConfig,
-    pub increment: Option<i64>,
+    pub increment: Option<u64>,
     pub done_cmd: Option<String>,
 }
 
@@ -59,17 +63,20 @@ pub async fn run(config: &Config, api: &CommonApi) -> Result<()> {
     let interval: Seconds = 1.into();
     let mut timer = interval.timer();
 
-    let format = config.format.with_default(" $icon {$minutes:$seconds |}")?;
+    let format = config
+        .format
+        .with_default(" $icon {$time.duration(hms:true) |}")?;
 
-    let increment =
-        Duration::try_seconds(config.increment.unwrap_or(30)).error("invalid increment value")?;
-    let mut timer_end = Utc::now();
+    let increment = Duration::from_secs(config.increment.unwrap_or(30));
+    let mut timer_end = Instant::now();
 
     let mut timer_was_active = false;
 
     loop {
-        let remaining_time = timer_end - Utc::now();
-        let is_timer_active = remaining_time > Duration::zero();
+        let mut widget = Widget::new().with_format(format.clone());
+
+        let remaining_time = timer_end - Instant::now();
+        let is_timer_active = !remaining_time.is_zero();
 
         if !is_timer_active && timer_was_active {
             if let Some(cmd) = &config.done_cmd {
@@ -78,24 +85,30 @@ pub async fn run(config: &Config, api: &CommonApi) -> Result<()> {
         }
         timer_was_active = is_timer_active;
 
-        let (hours, minutes, seconds) = if is_timer_active {
-            (
-                remaining_time.num_hours(),
-                remaining_time.num_minutes() % 60,
-                remaining_time.num_seconds() % 60,
-            )
-        } else {
-            (0, 0, 0)
-        };
+        let mut values = map!(
+            "icon" => Value::icon("tea"),
+        );
 
-        let mut widget = Widget::new().with_format(format.clone());
+        if is_timer_active {
+            values.insert("time".into(), Value::duration(remaining_time));
+            let mut seconds = remaining_time.as_secs();
 
-        widget.set_values(map!(
-            "icon" => Value::icon("tea"),
-            [if is_timer_active] "hours" => Value::text(format!("{hours:02}")),
-            [if is_timer_active] "minutes" => Value::text(format!("{minutes:02}")),
-            [if is_timer_active] "seconds" => Value::text(format!("{seconds:02}")),
-        ));
+            if format.contains_key("hours") {
+                let hours = seconds / 3_600;
+                values.insert("hours".into(), Value::text(format!("{hours:02}")));
+                seconds %= 3_600;
+            }
+
+            if format.contains_key("minutes") {
+                let minutes = seconds / 60;
+                values.insert("minutes".into(), Value::text(format!("{minutes:02}")));
+                seconds %= 60;
+            }
+
+            values.insert("seconds".into(), Value::text(format!("{seconds:02}")));
+        }
+
+        widget.set_values(values);
 
         api.set_widget(widget)?;
 
@@ -103,7 +116,7 @@ pub async fn run(config: &Config, api: &CommonApi) -> Result<()> {
             _ = timer.tick(), if is_timer_active => (),
             _ = api.wait_for_update_request() => (),
             Some(action) = actions.recv() => {
-                let now = Utc::now();
+                let now = Instant::now();
                 match action.as_ref() {
                     "increment" if is_timer_active => timer_end += increment,
                     "increment" => timer_end = now + increment,