How do I set the world clock on the iwatch to a default city?

This is the only solution to the problem. It does no good to try and set a default on the iPhone. This is the solution:

On the watch face press and hold - this brings up the Customize option

2. Press Customize

3. Scroll the screen left (there are 2 screens for the modular watch face. This brings up a screen where different components can be selected, they will be outlined in a color

4. Highlight the 2nd time zone.

4. Rotate the crown to Select the second time zone and use the crown to select your choice of alternate time zone.

5. Press crown until you return to the watch face

6. Wolla, it is changed!

Go to your CLOCK app on your iPhone

Then bottom left corner is WORLD CLOCK

Then top left corner - EDIT

Add the city you want for your default, then re-order the list so the city you want as default on WATCH is in the TOP position.

i added all time zones on iphone clock app, changed shanghai to the first default one, but my watch is still showing cupertino. i tapped world clock on the watch and turn it to shanghai but when i go back to main page, it is still showing cupertino after all i have done. it is very frustrating. i restarted 10 times on apple watch. i installed the latest update also.

1. On the watch face press and hold - this brings up the Customize option

2. Press Customize

3. Scroll the screen left (there are 2 screens for the modular watch face. This brings up a screen where different components can be selected

4. Select the second time zone and use the crown to select

5. Press crown until you return to the watch face

i deleted the CUP in the clock app in the iphone and put NYC as the top one, however in my iwatch it still displays CUP, this is bugging me too bad!!

That is the way the  Watch works. On your  Watch you need to scroll through the cities set in the World Clock on your iPhone with the Digital Crown. Once you find the city you want you can set that clock face. The selected city will remain.

There is an issue in the software. I deleted all by my domestic time and then added more, and experienced the same problem as you. My solution was to add the originals (in my case milan and edinburgh) before adding the others I wanted. This updated the list appropriately. It is something to do with deleting a timezone that is on one of the watch face complications that overwhelms the software and blocks it from refreshing your preferences 🙂

When you are on the watch face, press your finger down on the center of the watch face and DO NOT RELEASE pressure until the face shrinks in size and you see Customize at the bottom of the screen. Then quickly touch "Customize". A Green Highlight will appear in the center of the screen with the word CALENDAR at the top of the green highlight. Do not press on this area. Go to the lower right side of the screen and press where "CUP" or your other city time abbreviation appears. Once you press on it a green highlighted area will appear with "WORLDCLOCK" at the top. Now turn the digital crown until you find the city time zone that you want to have appear. Then quickly press the crown to get back to your clock screen...Touch the screen again to get out of "CUSTOMIZE"....

Note that the local city time zone options in your WATCH are set up in your iPhone under the clock... IF you have not set up these cities yet you will need to go to "CLOCK" on your iPhone... Then torch World Clock at the bottom left of the screen...Then touch EDIT at the top left corner... You can now delete or add cites along with their respective time zones... Note that you can also change the order that the cities appear by using the three hash lines at the right side of the screen and dragging the city either up or down on the screen.. Note that the city will be highlighted once you push your finger on the hash lines....

1. Tap the iWatch clock face to shrink to customize.

2. Tap Customize.

3. Swipe the clock face to bring up the different clock face components.

4. Tap CUP and use the dial to rotate to your selected city.

5. Tap the clock face to get out of the Customize mode.

6. Your new clock face should reflect the selected city.

Note:You may be able to simply tap the city on the clock face to get to the world clock where you can simply use the dial to rotate a new city.

AFter you add city to Clock app on iPhone,

1. Tap and hold watch face.

2. Tap Customize.

3. Tap CUP.

4. Rotate crown to city you want.

5. Press crown.

6. Press crown again.

nice - thanks

Thank you!