# Watches set to 10:10 or 8:20
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watches-set-to-10-10-or-8-20/345320
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports
**Created:** [February 20, 2006, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watches-set-to-10-10-or-8-20/345320 "2006-02-20T15:25:32Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@aphable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aphable)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2006, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watches-set-to-10-10-or-8-20/345320/1 "2006-02-20T15:25:32Z")
Hello Brother Cecil,
I was once in an advertising class that explained the phenomena of 10:10 and 8:20 set on watches in print advertisements. It is believed that the hands represent a pair of legs subliminally in one’s mind. At these particular times, the legs are spread as wide as possible. Some watches have a short “tail” on one end, which could represent one’s male privates.
Hope this is helpful.
Eric
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### Author:  [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2006, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watches-set-to-10-10-or-8-20/345320/2 "2006-02-20T15:58:51Z")
Welcome to the SDMB, aphable.
A link to the column is appreciated. Providing one can be as simple as pasting the URL into your post, making sure to leave a blank space on either side of it. Like so: [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2\_330.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_330.html)
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2006, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watches-set-to-10-10-or-8-20/345320/3 "2006-02-20T19:00:26Z")
So you’re saying that a significant portion of watch-buyers are subliminally attracted to a naked man with his legs spread wide? I’m not seeing it. Even if we suppose that most watch-buyers are sexually attracted to men, I don’t know of all that many sexual positions where a man would spread his legs wide. The argument would perhaps be a bit stronger without the “penis” (both since spread female legs are regarded as sexually inviting, and because I suspect more men buy watches than women), but it’d still be a bit far-fetched. Why make it any more complicated than “people like symmetry”?
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### Author:  [@Youbetcha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Youbetcha)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2006, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watches-set-to-10-10-or-8-20/345320/4 "2006-02-20T20:32:53Z")
In an old marketing class of mine we were told 10:10 was ‘happy time’ in that it looked like th ewatch was smiling. Watch makers put their hands there so that the craftmanship of the individual hand could easily be seen.
I haven’t seen many 8:20 watches but I imagine it’s so the end of the hands can be easily seen rather than the arms.
I know sex sells but I think your prof is taking it a bit too far.
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### Author:  [@VanillaGorilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VanillaGorilla)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2006, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watches-set-to-10-10-or-8-20/345320/5 "2006-02-22T20:04:50Z")
As I understand it, you dont have to actually be attracted to the sexual image for subliminal commercial to work on you, its enough that your mind goes _“hey, look, look, thats sex!”_ to make you pay attention to the commercial.
Thats the idea, at least, I dont believe there is any evidence that subliminal commercials actually work…
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### Author:  [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2006, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watches-set-to-10-10-or-8-20/345320/6 "2006-02-23T10:45:19Z")
> [@Etumretniw](#):
>
> I dont believe there is any evidence that subliminal commercials actually work…
Neither does Cecil. See [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_187.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_187.html)
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### Author:  [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2006, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watches-set-to-10-10-or-8-20/345320/7 "2006-02-28T19:54:08Z")
My best friend’s father was a watch maker.
He told us a very simple reason for setting the hands to 8:20 or 10:10. Which, depends on where the brand name or logo is imprinted. If the name is below the center, the watch or clock is set to 8:20, at the top to 10:10, to frame and emphasize the maker.
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### Author:  [@Foghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foghead)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2006, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watches-set-to-10-10-or-8-20/345320/8 "2006-03-02T12:37:40Z")
I recall a psych course I took that described the same phenomenon. We saw examples of advertisements that included children sitting in the crotch of a tree (childbirth?), trains entering tunnels, etc. Not being in the advertising biz I don’t know for sure, but I bet these things are done on the assumption that they work. Whether or not they actually do is a separate topic.