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Have you ever wondered why in an advertisement for a watch, the time will always read 10:10? There are many theories out there but very little evidence to back them up. After a little research we managed to find a pretty sure answer.
The 10:10 position has been documented since the 1920’s, adverts in Times Magazine before this date show no such arrangement. Some adverts have also arranged the time to read 8:20 which may be key to really finding out why the time is set in these positions.
Some people believe that the position represents the time that Abraham Lincoln died. Lincoln was shot at approx 10:15pm and later died at approx 7:22pm so the times really don’t coincide, plus the exact same myth is also reported with John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King. JFK died at approx 8:18 (very close to 8:20) and so they believe the 10:10 position is an inversion of this time. In the UK people believe that this may be the time Guy Fawkes planned to blow up the House’s of Parliament, but considering these theories have no evidence and none of the times are exact, it seems a little difficult to believe.
Ex Veterans From World War Two have claimed that the time represents V for Victory, this a great little yarn that reminds us all that the world pulled together to help fight a conquering army. However the 10:10 time has been documented way before WWII and it doesn’t explain why some images read 8:20.
Another theory behind the position of the hands is that 10:10 represents a smile which is aesthetically pleasing for marketing reasons. The smile position has pleasing symmetrical properties and apparently attracts buyers, this is not far from the truth but it also doesn’t explain why some adverts have been documented to read 8:20.
With all of these theories on offer it made sense to contact Timex, a major watch brand, to see what they had to say.
Timex said that the hands on timepieces are placed at 10:10 because it frames the company Logo, it also keeps the arms out of the way of any other details or dials. Timex also mentioned that the exact time is usually 10:10 with the second hand at six, this creates perfect symmetry that is aesthetically pleasing to the buyer.
When asked about the time 8:20 Timex said this used to be the industry standard for the same reasons, however it was later decided that this position looked too much like a frown and created an unhappy look.
So it seems that the smile theory is actually closest to the truth. Research has proven that an aesthetically pleasing appearance can attract more buyers and in this competitive market anything and everything counts.