TOKYO -- In Japan, where punctuality is a must in the workplace and railway delays can often be measured in seconds, women are keeping one step ahead of men by setting their watches fast.

A survey by leading watch maker Citizen Watch Co.

Ltd.

suggests women may be even more punctual than men, Reuters reported.

It found female workers in Tokyo tend to set their watches two or more minutes ahead, while men usually set theirs to the exact time, Kyodo news agency said.

The difference in time-setting habits "may indicate that women are more mindful of punctuality," Kyodo quoted a Citizen watch official as saying.

In the survey in the Tokyo metropolitan area between June and July, 52 percent of 176 working women polled said they set their wristwatches forward, compared to just 33 percent of 154 men. Such men and women said they set their watches forward by an average of 2.7 minutes.

By comparison, 63 percent of men and 43 percent of women said they set their wristwatches accurately to the second.