when you buy a new watch or clock, the time is usually ten twenty or one fifty. source for reason?

Question

i'm already aware that most clocks are sold showing those times, and i'm pretty sure i know why, but no one believes me. can anyone point me to a proper source?

i've already spent over an hour searching online, with no positive results

[added info four hours later]
according to this link - http://www.ubr.com/clocks/faq/1010.html there are several answers, depending on the brand sometimes.

i had heard, years ago, that clock sales weren't as high as they could be, and in an attempt to sell more clocks, a positive image was put on the clocks (smiling faces). while it didn't boost sales, it looked nice to have all of the clocks at a uniform time.

Answer 1

All the old Timex TV adds use to use 10:10. I did see a marketing documentary on it once. They said it framed or underlined the name of the company. The Timex logo is printed on the clock just below the 12.

They also said just as much about reasons they didn't use other times. They didn't want random, as they wanted the public to know it was consistent. Like they didn't want to put a random time on it and if you coincidental watched the TV commercial 15 minutes before or after then you might think it kept poor time.

Then midnight, didn't show the watch had two hands. lol. And 11:05 blocks their logo. They thought symmetrical looked best.

Once they started doing one time it just became the norm. Not only for Timex, but for all. You might find it slightly different, like if a watch has a bigger logo.

Look at my link to see how the hands frame the logo.

Edit: I just read the google link in dahnna's answer.

"TIMEX SAYS THE HANDS ON TIMEPIECES ARE PLACED AT TEN-TEN SO THE COMPANY LOGO ON THE FACE WILL BE FRAMED AND NOT BLOCKED BY THE HANDS."

Answer 2

So the brand name is inside the V that the hands form, sometimes the name is under the 12 sometimes over the 6, if you find it in digital clocks it is just the habit

Answer 3

I know a lot of clock and watch faces come with the time set 10:10, because both hands are facing up, and it looks like a smile face, so people are happy.

Answer 4

I agree with Heidi. I read in a magazine that this is widely used because it does send the image of the clock being in a happy setting. It is widely used as in internationally. Sometimes in foreign magazines you will see the clock isnt set to 10:10 but whichever.

Please tell us your idea of why you thought clocks were set to 10:10

Answer 5

They show that time to hit your sexual subconcious buttom. Most of them show 10:10 or 1:50 because they form a V, which represents a woman´s opened legs. Sex sells.