BDLJ
4653
Symmetry and..
I'm with you there, Nic.
I always thought is was down to symmetry and the fact that (in general) it keeps the hands away from the usual placement of day/date windows. eg. Quarter to 3 is a no-no. So go with 10:10 which is smiley, and after a while, it becomes almost a standard
Ever wonder why most watches are photographed at the 10:10 o'clock position?
this is probably a re-post but I just stumbled upon it today and found it very interesting. summary: In advertising for wristwatches, most models are frozen with their hands smiling at 10 and 2 to frame the brand name and logo. http://www.nytimes.com/2008...
Esthetical reasons
10 / 10 is symmetric. so, for the balance of the watch, I guess that 10 /10 is the best position for hands. But you know what? I rarely pay attention to this kind of details. Best. Nicolas