diff --git a/esphome/components/time/real_time_clock.cpp b/esphome/components/time/real_time_clock.cpp
index 2b9a95c6bd..11e39e8f67 100644
--- a/esphome/components/time/real_time_clock.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/time/real_time_clock.cpp
@@ -21,10 +21,6 @@ namespace time {
 static const char *const TAG = "time";
 
 RealTimeClock::RealTimeClock() = default;
-void RealTimeClock::call_setup() {
-  this->apply_timezone_();
-  PollingComponent::call_setup();
-}
 void RealTimeClock::synchronize_epoch_(uint32_t epoch) {
   // Update UTC epoch time.
   struct timeval timev {
diff --git a/esphome/components/time/real_time_clock.h b/esphome/components/time/real_time_clock.h
index a17168ae6f..401798a568 100644
--- a/esphome/components/time/real_time_clock.h
+++ b/esphome/components/time/real_time_clock.h
@@ -21,7 +21,10 @@ class RealTimeClock : public PollingComponent {
   explicit RealTimeClock();
 
   /// Set the time zone.
-  void set_timezone(const std::string &tz) { this->timezone_ = tz; }
+  void set_timezone(const std::string &tz) {
+    this->timezone_ = tz;
+    this->apply_timezone_();
+  }
 
   /// Get the time zone currently in use.
   std::string get_timezone() { return this->timezone_; }
@@ -35,8 +38,6 @@ class RealTimeClock : public PollingComponent {
   /// Get the current time as the UTC epoch since January 1st 1970.
   time_t timestamp_now() { return ::time(nullptr); }
 
-  void call_setup() override;
-
   void add_on_time_sync_callback(std::function<void()> callback) {
     this->time_sync_callback_.add(std::move(callback));
   };