Difference between revisions 18658631 and 20834896 on enwiki

[[Image:Breitling_Montbrillant.jpg|thumb|The hands are set to 8 minutes past 10]]

'''10:08''', 8 minutes past 10, is the time, analog [[watches]] are set to in most advertisements. 

There are several reasons for this, generally to do withmany of them [[psychology|psychological]] factors: 

* The form of the [[hands]] has a positive effect on the viewer: with the short hand pointing at 10, o'clock and the long hand pointing at 8 minutes has the formtheir position is reminiscent of a check mark, which commonly means "ok" or "fine".
* 10 o'clock is in the morning, so when the day has still to begin, it is young and you can still do sois young. There is still time to accomplish many things.
* 10 o'clock is the time you probably getpeople typically wake up at when you have time to sleep as long as you want, so you are relaxedthey are able to sleep in. 10:08 can thus be associated with weekend, leisure and relaxation.
* Thise position of the hands does not obscure the date on watches with a date-function at 3 o'clock or any other functions at 9 or 3 o'clock.
* The hands are not, however, symmetrical on the face of the dial at 10:08. The minute hand is 48 degrees right of vertical (8 minutes times 6 degrees/minute). The hour hand, however, is 56 degrees left of vertical (60 degrees at 10, but by 10:08 the small hand has moved 8/60 of the 30 degrees between 10 and 11, or 4 degrees. Perfect symmetry would be achieved at 10:09:13.8. Other symmetrical times would not meet the needs above. 

Digital watches in commercials are set to 10:58. Oddly enough, 10:08 is also the time at which a digital display will have the maximum number of digit "segments" turned on.

[[Urban legend]]s are frequently heard to the effect that the watches are set to their hour to commemorate the hour at which some famous person (commonly [[Abraham Lincoln]] or [[John F. Kennedy]]) died. All such stories prove to be several hours off.

[[Category:Advertising]]
[[Category:Clocks]]