Abstract: An improved time transfer mechanism and method are disclosed. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a computer implemented method for transferring time, includes generating a first time stamp at a processor; triggering a time transfer event; generating a second time stamp at the processor; and receiving a reference time stamp at the processor. Triggering the time transfer event can further include sending a request for a time stamp signal to a device that is dedicated to time synchronization. The present invention also includes specific hardware for performing the time transfer method.