diff --git a/vlib/benchmark/benchmark.v b/vlib/benchmark/benchmark.v
index 82c551cb29..861ea59e42 100644
--- a/vlib/benchmark/benchmark.v
+++ b/vlib/benchmark/benchmark.v
@@ -54,8 +54,8 @@ const (
 
 pub struct Benchmark {
 pub mut:
-	bench_timer      time.Timer
-	step_timer       time.Timer
+	bench_timer      time.StopWatch
+	step_timer       time.StopWatch
 	ntotal           int
 	nok              int
 	nfail            int
@@ -70,14 +70,14 @@ pub mut:
 
 pub fn new_benchmark() Benchmark {
 	return Benchmark{
-		bench_timer: time.new_timer()
+		bench_timer: time.new_stopwatch()
 		verbose: true
 	}
 }
 
 pub fn new_benchmark_no_cstep() Benchmark {
 	return Benchmark{
-		bench_timer: time.new_timer()
+		bench_timer: time.new_stopwatch()
 		verbose: true
 		no_cstep: true
 	}
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ pub fn new_benchmark_no_cstep() Benchmark {
 
 pub fn new_benchmark_pointer() &Benchmark {
 	return &Benchmark{
-		bench_timer: time.new_timer()
+		bench_timer: time.new_stopwatch()
 		verbose: true
 	}
 }
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ pub fn start() Benchmark {
 
 pub fn (b mut Benchmark) measure(label string) i64 {
 	b.ok()
-	res := b.step_timer.elapsed()
+	res := b.step_timer.elapsed().milliseconds()
 	println(b.step_message_with_label(BSPENT, 'in $label'))
 	b.step()
 	return res
@@ -172,10 +172,10 @@ pub fn (b &Benchmark) step_message_with_label(label string, msg string) string {
 				'${b.cstep:3d}/${b.nexpected_steps:3d}'
 			}
 		}
-		timed_line = b.tdiff_in_ms('[${sprogress}] $msg', b.step_timer.elapsed())
+		timed_line = b.tdiff_in_ms('[${sprogress}] $msg', b.step_timer.elapsed().milliseconds())
 	}
 	else {
-		timed_line = b.tdiff_in_ms(msg, b.step_timer.elapsed())
+		timed_line = b.tdiff_in_ms(msg, b.step_timer.elapsed().milliseconds())
 	}
 	return '${label:-5s}${timed_line}'
 }
@@ -201,11 +201,11 @@ pub fn (b &Benchmark) total_message(msg string) string {
 	if b.verbose {
 		tmsg = '<=== total time spent $tmsg'
 	}
-	return '  ' + b.tdiff_in_ms(tmsg, b.bench_timer.elapsed())
+	return '  ' + b.tdiff_in_ms(tmsg, b.bench_timer.elapsed().milliseconds())
 }
 
 pub fn (b &Benchmark) total_duration() i64 {
-	return b.bench_timer.elapsed()
+	return b.bench_timer.elapsed().milliseconds()
 }
 
 // //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/vlib/time/stopwatch.v b/vlib/time/stopwatch.v
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d93b4d2785
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vlib/time/stopwatch.v
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2019-2020 Alexander Medvednikov. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by an MIT license
+// that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+module time
+
+pub struct StopWatch {
+	pause_time u64
+pub:
+	start      u64
+	end        u64
+}
+
+pub fn new_stopwatch() StopWatch {
+	return StopWatch{start: time.sys_mono_now()}
+}
+
+// start Starts the timer. If the timer was paused, restarts counting.
+pub fn (t mut StopWatch) start() {
+	if t.pause_time == 0 {
+		t.start = time.sys_mono_now()
+	} else {
+		t.start += time.sys_mono_now() - t.pause_time
+	}
+	t.end = 0
+	t.pause_time = 0
+}
+
+pub fn (t mut StopWatch) restart() {
+	t.end = 0
+	t.pause_time = 0
+	t.start = time.sys_mono_now()
+}
+
+pub fn (t mut StopWatch) stop() {
+	t.end = time.sys_mono_now()
+	t.pause_time = 0
+}
+
+pub fn (t mut StopWatch) pause() {
+	t.pause_time = time.sys_mono_now()
+	t.end = t.pause_time // so elapsed keeps track of actual running time
+}
+
+// elapsed returns the Duration since the last start call
+pub fn (t StopWatch) elapsed() Duration {
+	if t.end == 0 {
+		return Duration(time.sys_mono_now() - t.start)
+	} else {
+		return Duration(t.end - t.start)
+	}
+}
+
diff --git a/vlib/time/time.v b/vlib/time/time.v
index 82e9a3eaa2..0f6328e60b 100644
--- a/vlib/time/time.v
+++ b/vlib/time/time.v
@@ -20,7 +20,21 @@ const (
 	days_per_400_years = 365 * 400 + 97
 	days_per_100_years = 365 * 100 + 24
 	days_per_4_years = 365 * 4 + 1
-	days_before = [0, 31, 31 + 28, 31 + 28 + 31, 31 + 28 + 31 + 30, 31 + 28 + 31 + 30 + 31, 31 + 28 + 31 + 30 + 31 + 30, 31 + 28 + 31 + 30 + 31 + 30 + 31, 31 + 28 + 31 + 30 + 31 + 30 + 31 + 31, 31 + 28 + 31 + 30 + 31 + 30 + 31 + 31 + 30, 31 + 28 + 31 + 30 + 31 + 30 + 31 + 31 + 30 + 31, 31 + 28 + 31 + 30 + 31 + 30 + 31 + 31 + 30 + 31 + 30, 31 + 28 + 31 + 30 + 31 + 30 + 31 + 31 + 30 + 31 + 30 + 31, ]
+	days_before = [
+		0,
+		31,
+		31 + 28,
+		31 + 28 + 31,
+		31 + 28 + 31 + 30,
+		31 + 28 + 31 + 30 + 31,
+		31 + 28 + 31 + 30 + 31 + 30,
+		31 + 28 + 31 + 30 + 31 + 30 + 31,
+		31 + 28 + 31 + 30 + 31 + 30 + 31 + 31,
+		31 + 28 + 31 + 30 + 31 + 30 + 31 + 31 + 30,
+		31 + 28 + 31 + 30 + 31 + 30 + 31 + 31 + 30 + 31,
+		31 + 28 + 31 + 30 + 31 + 30 + 31 + 31 + 30 + 31 + 30,
+		31 + 28 + 31 + 30 + 31 + 30 + 31 + 31 + 30 + 31 + 30 + 31,
+	]
 )
 
 pub struct Time {
@@ -121,7 +135,7 @@ pub fn (t Time) unix_time() int {
 	return make_unix_time(tt)
 }
 
-// add_days returns a new time struct with an added number of seconds.
+// add_seconds returns a new time struct with an added number of seconds.
 pub fn (t Time) add_seconds(seconds int) Time {
 	// TODO Add(d time.Duration)
 	return unix(t.unix + seconds)
@@ -265,3 +279,48 @@ fn convert_ctime(t C.tm) Time {
 		unix: make_unix_time(t)
 	}
 }
+
+// A lot of these are taken from the Go library
+pub type Duration i64
+
+pub const(
+	nanosecond  = Duration(1)
+	microsecond = Duration(1000) * nanosecond
+	millisecond = Duration(1000) * microsecond
+	second       = Duration(1000) * millisecond
+	minute       = Duration(60) * second
+	hour         = Duration(60) * minute
+)
+
+// nanoseconds returns the duration as an integer number of nanoseconds.
+pub fn (d Duration) nanoseconds() i64 { return i64(d) }
+
+// microseconds returns the duration as an integer number of microseconds.
+pub fn (d Duration) microseconds() i64 { return i64(d) / 1000 }
+
+// milliseconds returns the duration as an integer number of milliseconds.
+pub fn (d Duration) milliseconds() i64 { return i64(d) / 1_000_000 }
+
+// The following functions return floating point numbers because it's common to
+// consider all of them in sub-one intervals
+
+// seconds returns the duration as a floating point number of seconds.
+pub fn (d Duration) seconds() f64 {
+	sec := d / second
+	nsec := d % second
+	return f64(sec) + f64(nsec)/1e9
+}
+
+// minutes returns the duration as a floating point number of minutes.
+pub fn (d Duration) minutes() f64 {
+	min := d / minute
+	nsec := d % minute
+	return f64(min) + f64(nsec)/(60*1e9)
+}
+
+// hours returns the duration as a floating point number of hours.
+pub fn (d Duration) hours() f64 {
+	hr := d / hour
+	nsec := d % hour
+	return f64(hr) + f64(nsec)/(60*60*1e9)
+}
diff --git a/vlib/time/time_darwin.c.v b/vlib/time/time_darwin.c.v
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..808f5f971d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vlib/time/time_darwin.c.v
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+module time
+
+#include <mach/mach_time.h>
+
+const (
+	// start_time is needed on Darwin and Windows because of potential overflows
+	start_time = C.mach_absolute_time()
+	time_base = init_time_base()
+)
+
+[typedef]
+struct C.mach_timebase_info_data_t {
+	numer u64
+	denom u64
+}
+
+fn C.mach_absolute_time() u64
+fn C.mach_timebase_info(&C.mach_timebase_info_data_t)
+
+struct InternalTimeBase {
+	numer u64
+	denom u64
+}
+
+fn init_time_base() InternalTimeBase {
+	mut tb := C.mach_timebase_info_data_t{}
+	C.mach_timebase_info(&tb)
+	return InternalTimeBase{numer:tb.numer, denom:tb.denom}
+}
+
+fn sys_mono_now_darwin() u64 {
+	tm := C.mach_absolute_time()
+	return mul_div(tm - start_time, time_base.numer, time_base.denom)
+}
+
+fn mul_div(val, numer, denom u64) u64 {
+	q := val / denom
+	r := val % denom
+	return q * numer + r * numer / denom
+}
diff --git a/vlib/time/time_nix.c.v b/vlib/time/time_nix.c.v
index a44651b464..5dc8e02fbf 100644
--- a/vlib/time/time_nix.c.v
+++ b/vlib/time/time_nix.c.v
@@ -17,3 +17,25 @@ fn C.timegm(&tm) time_t
 fn make_unix_time(t C.tm) int {
 	return int(C.timegm(&t))
 }
+
+type time_t voidptr
+
+// in most systems, these are __quad_t, which is an i64
+struct C.timespec {
+	tv_sec  i64
+	tv_nsec i64
+}
+
+// the first arg is defined in include/bits/types.h as `__S32_TYPE`, which is `int`
+fn C.clock_gettime(int, &C.timespec)
+
+fn sys_mono_now() u64 {
+	$if macos {
+		return sys_mono_now_darwin()
+	} $else {
+		ts := C.timespec{}
+		C.clock_gettime(C.CLOCK_MONOTONIC, &ts)
+		return u64(ts.tv_sec) * 1_000_000_000 + u64(ts.tv_nsec)
+	}
+}
+
diff --git a/vlib/time/time_windows.c.v b/vlib/time/time_windows.c.v
index de4b21feef..4d4d13f884 100644
--- a/vlib/time/time_windows.c.v
+++ b/vlib/time/time_windows.c.v
@@ -12,8 +12,48 @@ struct C.tm {
 	tm_sec  int
 }
 
+[typedef]
+struct C.LARGE_INTEGER {
+	QuadPart i64
+}
+
+const (
+	// start_time is needed on Darwin and Windows because of potential overflows
+	// Windows: don't store the LARGE_INTEGER, just the QuadPart
+	start_time = init_win_time_start()
+	freq_time  = init_win_time_freq()
+)
+
 fn C._mkgmtime(&C.tm) time_t
 
+fn C.QueryPerformanceCounter(&C.LARGE_INTEGER) C.BOOL
+
+fn C.QueryPerformanceFrequency(&C.LARGE_INTEGER) C.BOOL
+
 fn make_unix_time(t C.tm) int {
 	return int(C._mkgmtime(&t))
 }
+
+fn init_win_time_freq() u64 {
+	mut f := C.LARGE_INTEGER{}
+	_ := C.QueryPerformanceFrequency(&f)
+	return u64(f.QuadPart)
+}
+
+fn init_win_time_start() u64 {
+	mut s := C.LARGE_INTEGER{}
+	_ := C.QueryPerformanceCounter(&s)
+	return u64(s.QuadPart)
+}
+
+fn sys_mono_now() u64 {
+	mut tm := C.LARGE_INTEGER{}
+	_ := C.QueryPerformanceCounter(&tm) // XP or later never fail
+	return mul_div(u64(tm.QuadPart) - start_time, 1_000_000_000, freq_time)
+}
+
+fn mul_div(val, numer, denom u64) u64 {
+	q := val / denom
+	r := val % denom
+	return q * numer + r * numer / denom
+}
diff --git a/vlib/time/timer.v b/vlib/time/timer.v
deleted file mode 100644
index dc7bdde059..0000000000
--- a/vlib/time/timer.v
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,60 +0,0 @@
-// Copyright (c) 2019-2020 Alexander Medvednikov. All rights reserved.
-// Use of this source code is governed by an MIT license
-// that can be found in the LICENSE file.
-module time
-
-// Timer struct and functions
-// start and end are # of ms since start of system.
-// When end_ticks == 0, this means the timer is actively "running"
-pub struct Timer {
-	pause_start i64
-pub:
-	start_ticks i64
-	end_ticks   i64
-}
-
-// start Starts the timer. If the timer was paused, restarts counting.
-pub fn (t mut Timer) start() {
-	if t.pause_start == 0 {
-		t.start_ticks = ticks()
-	} else {
-		// We were paused, so pretend like the time we were paused didn't
-		// happen
-		t.start_ticks += ticks() - t.pause_start
-	}
-	t.end_ticks = 0
-	t.pause_start = 0
-}
-
-pub fn (t mut Timer) restart() {
-	t.end_ticks = 0
-	t.pause_start = 0
-	t.start_ticks = ticks()
-}
-
-pub fn (t mut Timer) pause() {
-	t.pause_start = ticks()
-	t.end_ticks = t.pause_start // so elapsed() still keeps track of the cared-amount of time
-}
-
-pub fn (t mut Timer) stop() {
-	t.end_ticks = ticks()
-	t.pause_start = 0
-}
-
-// elapsed If the Timer is stopped, returns the number of milliseconds between
-// the last start and stop.
-// If the Timer is still running, returns the number of milliseconds from the
-// last start to now.
-pub fn (t Timer) elapsed() i64 {
-	if t.end_ticks == 0 {
-		return ticks() - t.start_ticks
-	} else {
-		return t.end_ticks - t.start_ticks
-	}
-}
-
-pub fn new_timer() Timer {
-	return Timer{start_ticks: ticks()}
-}
-