Why are the hands of watches in advertisements set at 10:10? What „forced” the advertising industry to this rule?
There are many theories about why the hands are set at 10:10 on watch advertisements. Some believe that this practice reveals the time of death of various famous people, while others interpret it as a reference to historical events.
The most acceptable explanation is that the reason lies in aesthetics: the hands set to 10:10 symmetrically frame and highlight the logo located at 12 o'clock. This hand position does not obscure the rest of the dial (for example, the date window, sub-dials, or complications), which are typically placed at 3, 6, or 9 o'clock on the dial. At the 10:10 position, the hands also create a feeling as if we are looking at a smiling face..
At the beginning of the 20th century, there was still no uniform representation of hands on advertising materials. Manufacturers employed various solutions, among which the symmetrical positioning of the hands was just one of many.
In the 1910s and 1920s, the symmetrical (and aligned with 12 o'clock) arrangement of hands became widespread among several brands (e.g., Elgin, Hamilton, Waltham) on their dials.
Some brands (e.g., Ingersoll, Bulova) also feature solutions where the hands are fixed at the bottom rather than the top, mostly in a symmetrical position (8:20). This „drooping” hand position is said by some to resemble a sad face; however, it undoubtedly has its practical role: the symmetrical embrace of the hands draws attention to the details that need to be emphasized, such as a technical novelty.
The hands clearly play an important role in advertisements: they direct attention to the framed dial area.
From the 1930s onwards, the positioning of hands close to 10:10 became a common solution in the advertising materials of watch manufacturers. Fixing the hands near the 10:10 position has become a widespread solution. Although various complications (e.g., the multiplication of hands) posed new challenges for advertisers, this setting remained a rule of thumb.
In post-war advertising materials and catalogs, it can also be observed how individual brands tailor their own 10:10 rule.
Despite the spread of the 10:10 rule, some „renegade” brands (e.g., Bulova) still used different hand arrangements in the 1970s.
The 10:10 rule is therefore used by brands as a kind of rule of thumb rather than a strict guideline. There is a minimal variation observed by brand: for example, in Timex advertisements, the fixed hand position is at 10:09:36, Rolex at 10:10:31, TAG Heuer at 10:10:37, and Bell & Ross sets the hands at 10:09.
István Sas, advertising psychologist, called the 10:10 rule one of the most interesting phenomena in the advertising industry and interpreted it as a kind of paradox: while advertisers strive for the fullest possible extension of creative freedom, in certain cases they impose self-restrictions on themselves. In the competition of advertisements, creators (often unconsciously) limit their own creativity in order to fight the competition in a narrower and more specific field.
In the case of clocks, self-regulation helps us focus on finer details up close, without distracting visual elements. It does not distract attention – in this case, the display of time is completely irrelevant – instead, we can concentrate on the detail-rich masterpiece.
„An exciting question is how long the ceremonially mandatory forms remain inspirational and when they become banal clichés.” István Sas
Are you interested in the topic?
I recommend to you:
- Why do advertisements often use the time 10:10 on clocks and watches?
- Why is 10:10 the Default Setting for Clocks and Watches?
- István Sas: Creative Advertising, Communication Academy, Budapest, 2007.
