Comment 6 for bug 1802233

If you use it in verbose mode it works. It could be that it is slow to read from the rtc and the verbose mode just enough time to sync?

ubuntu@tiselius:~$ sudo /sbin/hwclock --set --date "2004/10/25 04:10:00"; sudo /sbin/hwclock --verbose
hwclock from util-linux 2.33.1
System Time: 1557759815.855012
Trying to open: /dev/rtc0
Using the rtc interface to the clock.
Last drift adjustment done at 1098677400 seconds after 1969
Last calibration done at 1098677400 seconds after 1969
Hardware clock is on UTC time
Assuming hardware clock is kept in UTC time.
Waiting for clock tick...
ioctl(4, RTC_UIE_ON, 0): Invalid argument
Waiting in loop for time from /dev/rtc0 to change
...got clock tick
Time read from Hardware Clock: 2004/10/25 04:10:01
Hw clock time : 2004/10/25 04:10:01 = 1098677401 seconds since 1969
Time since last adjustment is 1 second
Calculated Hardware Clock drift is 0.000000 seconds
2004-10-25 04:09:59.806484+00:00
ubuntu@tiselius:~$