People are only just discovering the clever reason watches are set to the same time in adverts – a detail you might not have paid attention to until now.
Adverts for timepieces consistently display the time as 10 past 10, with the minute hand on the 2 and the hour hand on the 10. When you shop for watches online, it’s highly probable that they’ll all be set to this specific time.
TikTok user Sarah Griffiths shed light on this by presenting a compilation of different branded watches all showing 10:10. She suggested that the hands arranged in this way resemble a smile.
Sarah said: “I forgot that I know this really cool fact about watches but I don’t know if everybody already knows it and it’s just me that thinks it’s cool but basically every watch advert you see the watch will always be at 10 past 10.”
Delving deeper, she stated: “So apparently the reason they do this is because it emulates the shape of a smile to make you feel positive emotions and make you want to buy that watch or at least associate positive emotions with that watch.”
She wrapped up with: “Anyway, yeah I just thought that’s really interesting and now every time I see a watch advert I always notice this, 10 past 10. Sarah’s TikTok video went viral with 59,000 views, gathering over 2,000 likes and numerous comments from intrigued viewers.
Numerous TikTok users have been left surprised by this revelation about watches they had never considered before. Comments unfolded with curiosity and newfound knowledge, including expressions like “I didn’t know this actually”, “honestly never thought about that”, and “I actually never realised this before so thank you!”
One viewer found the insight particularly fascinating: “That’s actually really interesting.” An ex-jeweller’s staff member chimed in their expertise, saying: “Yes I worked in a jewellers and we were to set all the watches on display to ten past ten or ten to two for a smile shape.”
A fellow TikToker mentioned picking up the fact from a book: “I once read this in a book and now it’s a random fact I tell everyone.” Sarah’s observation skills were applauded as someone remarked: “Well spotted.”
Another layer to the time-setting strategy was pointed out by several commenters after watching Sarah’s video—they noted it was also done to ensure the brand logo remains visible. As one person affirmed, “That’s 100% true”, quickly following it up with “but also to show the logos too”.
Echoing this sentiment another said: “It’s to show and highlight the logo on the watch face.” Given that most brands position their logos at the top of the watch face, setting the hands to 10:10 becomes an ingenious way to showcase the logo unobstructed in advertisements.
Tufina, the luxury watch brand, has shed light on why the 10:10 position is advantageous for showcasing their timepieces: “The hands are not overlapping, so they’re fully and clearly visible and their styling can be admired. The arrangement of the hands is symmetrical, which people generally find more pleasant than asymmetry, making the product more appealing to customers.”
They added: “The manufacturer’s logo, usually in the center of the face under the 12, is not only visible but nicely framed by the hands. Additional elements on the face (like date windows or secondary dials), usually placed near the 3, 6, or 9, won’t be obscured.”