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We've never noticed this phenomenon, but you're absolutely right. A Yahoo! Shopping search on "watches" results in plenty of timepieces reading 10:10. Of course, there is some variation on the theme: 10:05, 10:08, 10:12, etc. We also found a few left-field entries: 8:20, 4:30, 2:35. But for the most part, watch ads stick to roughly 10:10. Strangely, we also found plenty of digital watches
set to the same time. This is obviously some kind of advertising standard. Why? Did some famous watch inventor die at 10 past 10? What's the significance? According to a reliable source, the reason is purely aesthetic. A watch reading 10:10 has a clean, symmetrical look. Also, the hands don't obscure the watchmaker insignia, which is usually located directly below 12 o'clock. Apparently, the practice started in the 1920s, and it stuck. For a great history of the 24-hour analog clock, check out Pete Boardman's web site.
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