diff --git a/esphome/components/time/real_time_clock.cpp b/esphome/components/time/real_time_clock.cpp
index 5f6b7d150f9..a46f9712291 100644
--- a/esphome/components/time/real_time_clock.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/time/real_time_clock.cpp
@@ -107,4 +107,37 @@ void RealTimeClock::synchronize_epoch_(uint32_t epoch) {
   this->time_sync_callback_.call();
 }
 
+// Bits of each calendar byte that hold the value, byte 0 lowest; byte 3 is the one-hot weekday.
+// Packed into one constant so it stays in code rather than RAM on ESP8266.
+static constexpr uint64_t BCD_CALENDAR_MASKS = 0xFF1F3F7F3F7F7FULL;
+
+ESPTime decode_bcd_calendar(const uint8_t *raw) {
+  uint8_t value[7];
+  for (size_t i = 0; i < 7; i++)
+    value[i] = bcd_to_uint8(raw[i] & static_cast<uint8_t>(BCD_CALENDAR_MASKS >> (8 * i)));
+  const uint8_t weekday = raw[3] & static_cast<uint8_t>(BCD_CALENDAR_MASKS >> 24);
+  ESPTime time{
+      .second = value[0],
+      .minute = value[1],
+      .hour = value[2],
+      .day_of_week = static_cast<uint8_t>(weekday ? __builtin_ctz(weekday) + 1 : 1),
+      .day_of_month = value[4],
+      .day_of_year = 1,
+      .month = value[5],
+      .year = static_cast<uint16_t>(value[6] + 2000),
+      .is_dst = false,
+      .timestamp = 0,
+  };
+  time.recalc_timestamp_utc(false);
+  return time;
+}
+
+void encode_bcd_calendar(const ESPTime &time, uint8_t *raw) {
+  const uint8_t value[7] = {
+      time.second, time.minute, time.hour, 0, time.day_of_month, time.month, static_cast<uint8_t>(time.year % 100)};
+  for (size_t i = 0; i < 7; i++)
+    raw[i] = uint8_to_bcd(value[i]);
+  raw[3] = 1 << (time.day_of_week - 1);
+}
+
 }  // namespace esphome::time
diff --git a/esphome/components/time/real_time_clock.h b/esphome/components/time/real_time_clock.h
index f98adb67b5b..a87778e470c 100644
--- a/esphome/components/time/real_time_clock.h
+++ b/esphome/components/time/real_time_clock.h
@@ -44,4 +44,10 @@ class RealTimeClock : public PollingComponent {
   LazyCallbackManager<void()> time_sync_callback_;
 };
 
+/// Decode the 7-byte BCD calendar (second, minute, hour, one-hot weekday, day, month, year since 2000)
+/// shared by Epson RTCs such as the RX8025T, RX8111 and RX8130, and fill in the UTC timestamp.
+ESPTime decode_bcd_calendar(const uint8_t *raw);
+/// Encode @p time into that 7-byte layout; @p time must be valid (is_valid()), with the year 2000 to 2099.
+void encode_bcd_calendar(const ESPTime &time, uint8_t *raw);
+
 }  // namespace esphome::time
diff --git a/esphome/core/helpers.h b/esphome/core/helpers.h
index c3e752c9690..d0e3c91ab0b 100644
--- a/esphome/core/helpers.h
+++ b/esphome/core/helpers.h
@@ -1062,6 +1062,11 @@ constexpr std::array<uint8_t, sizeof(T)> decode_value(T val) {
   return ret;
 }
 
+/// Decode a two-digit packed BCD byte (tens in the high nibble) to its value, e.g. 0x59 to 59.
+constexpr uint8_t bcd_to_uint8(uint8_t bcd) { return (bcd >> 4) * 10 + (bcd & 0x0F); }
+/// Encode a value from 0 to 99 as a two-digit packed BCD byte, e.g. 59 to 0x59.
+constexpr uint8_t uint8_to_bcd(uint8_t value) { return ((value / 10) << 4) | (value % 10); }
+
 /// Reverse the order of 8 bits.
 inline uint8_t reverse_bits(uint8_t x) {
   x = ((x & 0xAA) >> 1) | ((x & 0x55) << 1);
diff --git a/tests/components/core/test_bcd.cpp b/tests/components/core/test_bcd.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5d90d5aafcd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/components/core/test_bcd.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+#include <gtest/gtest.h>
+
+#include "esphome/core/helpers.h"
+
+namespace esphome::core::testing {
+
+static_assert(bcd_to_uint8(0x59) == 59);
+static_assert(uint8_to_bcd(59) == 0x59);
+
+TEST(Bcd, RoundTripsEveryTwoDigitValue) {
+  for (uint8_t value = 0; value < 100; value++) {
+    const uint8_t bcd = uint8_to_bcd(value);
+    EXPECT_EQ(bcd >> 4, value / 10);
+    EXPECT_EQ(bcd & 0x0F, value % 10);
+    EXPECT_EQ(bcd_to_uint8(bcd), value);
+  }
+}
+
+TEST(Bcd, DecodesBoundaryBytes) {
+  EXPECT_EQ(bcd_to_uint8(0x00), 0);
+  EXPECT_EQ(bcd_to_uint8(0x09), 9);
+  EXPECT_EQ(bcd_to_uint8(0x10), 10);
+  EXPECT_EQ(bcd_to_uint8(0x99), 99);
+}
+
+}  // namespace esphome::core::testing
diff --git a/tests/components/time/bcd_calendar.cpp b/tests/components/time/bcd_calendar.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c66454fe1b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/components/time/bcd_calendar.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+#include <gtest/gtest.h>
+
+#include <algorithm>
+
+#include "esphome/components/time/real_time_clock.h"
+
+namespace esphome::time::testing {
+
+// 2026-04-16 23:59:58, a Thursday (day_of_week 5, one-hot bit 4).
+static constexpr uint8_t RAW[7] = {0x58, 0x59, 0x23, 0x10, 0x16, 0x04, 0x26};
+
+TEST(BcdCalendar, DecodesEveryField) {
+  const ESPTime time = decode_bcd_calendar(RAW);
+  EXPECT_EQ(time.second, 58);
+  EXPECT_EQ(time.minute, 59);
+  EXPECT_EQ(time.hour, 23);
+  EXPECT_EQ(time.day_of_week, 5);
+  EXPECT_EQ(time.day_of_month, 16);
+  EXPECT_EQ(time.month, 4);
+  EXPECT_EQ(time.year, 2026);
+  EXPECT_EQ(time.timestamp, 1776383998);
+  EXPECT_TRUE(time.is_valid(true, false));
+}
+
+TEST(BcdCalendar, MasksStatusBits) {
+  // Bit 7 of seconds/minutes, the top two bits of hour and day and the top three of month are not time.
+  const uint8_t raw[7] = {0xD8, 0xD9, 0xE3, 0x90, 0xD6, 0xE4, 0x26};
+  const ESPTime time = decode_bcd_calendar(raw);
+  EXPECT_EQ(time.second, 58);
+  EXPECT_EQ(time.minute, 59);
+  EXPECT_EQ(time.hour, 23);
+  EXPECT_EQ(time.day_of_week, 5);
+  EXPECT_EQ(time.day_of_month, 16);
+  EXPECT_EQ(time.month, 4);
+}
+
+TEST(BcdCalendar, EmptyWeekdayDecodesAsSunday) {
+  uint8_t raw[7];
+  std::copy(RAW, RAW + 7, raw);
+  raw[3] = 0;
+  EXPECT_EQ(decode_bcd_calendar(raw).day_of_week, 1);
+}
+
+TEST(BcdCalendar, EncodeRoundTrips) {
+  uint8_t raw[7];
+  encode_bcd_calendar(decode_bcd_calendar(RAW), raw);
+  for (size_t i = 0; i < 7; i++)
+    EXPECT_EQ(raw[i], RAW[i]) << "byte " << i;
+}
+
+}  // namespace esphome::time::testing