Why Watches in Ads Are Always Set to 10:10

For all but three watches in the top 100 bestsellers in the men’s dress watch category on Amazon.com, time stands still. Different models from various brands are set to 10:10 in mysterious synchronicity. 

If you find yourself shopping for a watch, make sure to check the time they show. Most likely it'll be 10:10. Is this a secret signal known only to watchmakers? Do competing brands prove that they are part of an elite club by setting watches to this time before showcasing them in ads? 

A group of researchers decided to figure out the answer. They didn’t take the easy way out by simply asking the watch manufacturers to reveal their secret. What they did instead was conduct a psychological experiment.

The researchers asked a group of people to pick between the 10:10 and the 08:20 watch setting options and to explain the reason for their choice. Now, before doing the study, the researchers had an interesting hypothesis — they suggested that the reason watches in ads are set to 10.10 might have something to do with the fact that this positioning resembles a smiling face. They picked 8:20 as a “frowning” alternative to further illustrate their point.

Surprisingly, the surveyed did link 10:10 to a smiling face and 8:20 to an upset expression. What’s more, the “faces” had a different effect on purchase decisions — people expressed more enthusiasm for buying the watches that were “smiling” at them. Turns out, “frowny” watches just don’t make the cut. 

When asked by the New York Times to comment on the phenomenon several years ago, Susanne Hurni, then the head of Ulysse Nardin’s advertising and marketing and now Vice President of Marketing at WatchBox Switzerland, said that they try to opt for 10 past 10 because it has the aesthetic of a smiley face.

Mystery solved. 10:10 is now the default setting for watches in ads – but has it always been this way? 

To find out whether this is true, let’s go back in time and look at the iconic watches that were worn by none other than James Bond. One would think that it couldn’t always be 10:10 in the James Bond universe. Isn’t that a bit too early for a martini, “shaken, not stirred”? You would be surprised, just fast forward to the 10:10 mark in this video.

Still, many years ago, 8:20 was a more popular setting since it made sure that hands didn’t overshadow the logo. So even James Bond wore a “frowny” watch at one point in time.

Some things might have changed, but one has stayed the same — watchmakers are still busy trying to come up with new ways to sell watches. And now 007 isn’t their only hope, immersive technology is another. The usually very traditional watch industry is putting its trust in 3D and AR.

3D image courtesy of Cappasity, an expert in immersive solutions. 

Rotate the face of the watch and zoom in to see the details. What time does it show? (Watch shown by Jacob & Co).