Clever reason watches are always set to exact same time when shown in adverts

When it comes to adverts, every detail of the campaign is poured over by a marketing team.

It shouldn't be a surprise that every detail is designed to make you want to part with your hard-earned cash, but it turns out there's a very clever aspect to watch adverts in particular that you probably haven't noticed, but you definitely won't be able to unsee after this.

A feature produced by Ethos Watches in 2020 delved deep into the exact reason your arm candy is set to a very specific time in adverts - and it may actually surprise you.

Can you spot it? (Getty Stock Photo)

Look closely at any watch advert and you may notice that all of the analog clock-faces bare the exact same time - 10:10 to be exact. But why is this?

Well, science. And subliminal messaging.

Don't believe us? Type watch into Google and you'll find every clock-face staring back at you with the same time. 10:10.

There it is. (TAG Heuer)

The practical decision behind using the 10:10 position means that advertisers are able to clearly display the components of the watch face, including hands, brand logo and any chronographs.

But that still doesn't explain why advertisers almost exclusively opt for the 10:10 position. After all, pointing both of the hands at 4:40 would give the same effect, right?

Well, a theory for that can be explained by the subconscious cues that are often deployed in print adds.

And again. (Getty Stock Photo)

By positioning both of the hands at the 10:10 position, the watch-face resembles a smiley face. Whereas a 4:40 would give the impression the watch is frowning at you.

Explaining the phenomena further, Linda Kaplan Thaler told The New York Times that consumers are more likely to purchase an item with a positive connotation.

"In advertising we would never expect someone to look at a watch and say, ‘The watch is smiling,’ but it’s just a feeling you get," she said.

There are of course exceptions to the rule. Look through enough photos of watches and you're sure to come across a couple 08:27s and 11:48s among the endless sea of 10:10s.

The idea also doesn't apply to digital watches, as Ethos points out Apple often uses the time 10:09 in many of its ads.

It seems there really are no details spared in the world of advertising.