Why Watches are Set to 10:10 in Adverts
June 3, 2013 at 2:00 am Chad Upton 13 comments
Once a fundamental tool, the wrist watch is now an accessory more than necessity.
The ubiquity of cellphones eliminated the need for watches on most people’s wrists. However, smart watches that accompany smartphones may catalyze a revival in wrist watches. Although these new fangled smart watches can emulate the analog hands of a traditional timepiece, they lack verisimilitude.
If you’re looking for the real thing, you may notice almost all analog wrist watches are photographed with a time of 10:10. The time doesn’t have any special meaning, it’s just aesthetics. The manufacturer’s logo is typically below 12 o’clock and the hands at 10 and 2 frame the logo proportionally and draw the readers eyes toward the logo itself.
One exception is chronograph watches. Since they often have multiple dials, the logo may not be top and center and/or the hands may be moved to a position that doesn’t block other dials.
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Entry filed under: Demystified, Uncategorized. Tags: 10 and 2, 10:10, time, watch, wrist watch.
Broken Secrets 
1.
James Gallo | June 3, 2013 at 9:12 am
Back in the 90s I learned that this was done because of the “happy” look of raised arms. And it’s typically 8 minutes after 10.
2.
Benjamin Faircloth | June 3, 2013 at 9:15 am
I always thought it was because it represented a smile, enticing the customer to buy the timepiece. Analogue clocks are also set at 10:10 in shops, in fact any analogue timepiece seems to be sold like that.
3.
Haitham | June 3, 2013 at 9:42 am
I thought that it was subconscious messaging to a “happy” look due to it’s “checkmark” ✓ shape.
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5.
Travin Keith | June 3, 2013 at 4:28 pm
Comments 1, 2, and 3 are right – those are all additional reasons as to why it’s set at 10:10. It’s just hitting multiple birds with one stone!
6.
Frannk Paterra | June 3, 2013 at 8:53 pm
Back in the great long ago (1930’s) the question was “why do ads for watches (all analog then) show the time as 8:20?” The answer was the same: it allowed the most room for the brand name and logo.
7.
Sandy | June 3, 2013 at 9:37 pm
I heard once that it was because that is that time that Lincoln was shot.
8.
Uddeshya Singh | July 18, 2013 at 12:24 pm
i think all the ABOVE REASONS R RIGHT!!
9.
theadyear | June 4, 2013 at 9:03 am
Reblogged this on The Ad Year and commented:
Attention to detail
10. This Video Will Make You Pay Much Closer Attention To Watch Ads | This Is Jah Smith DOT com | December 4, 2013 at 10:07 am
[…] your time cooking up a crazy conspiracy theory though: Turns out it’s just aesthetics. Company logos are usually perfectly framed by watch hands at the ten and the […]
11.
You’ll Never Be Able To Look At The Watch Ad The Same Way Again After Seeing This Video | [ mukeshbalani.com ] | December 4, 2013 at 10:10 am
[…] your time cooking up a crazy conspiracy theory though: Turns out it’s just aesthetics. Company logos are usually perfectly framed by watch hands at the ten and the […]
12.
Dharmendra farroda | December 19, 2013 at 11:56 am
10:10 ten out of ten .this gives us confidence and feel good
13.
Shivam | March 3, 2014 at 5:30 am
Its because back in 1945 when the world experienced its most dreadful sorrow of the massive destruction of hiroshima in the history of mankind when the atom bomb was first tested.On 6 august 1945 at 10:10 all the clocks were stopped for this accident as this was the exact time when the Fat Man ( atom bomb) was dropped.