Apple is officially a watchmaker. And like all fancy watchmakers, the company has created a trove of gorgeous marketing close ups of its timepieces, only Apple has hidden a subtle to diss to competitors that its way ahead of their analog challengers.
Most watchmakers set their watch faces to 10 past 10 o’clock in advertisements. Rolex is anal about using 10:10:31, TAG Heuer uses 10:10:37, and Bell & Ross are dedicated to 10:10:10, but Apple’s so far ahead, it set the clock of its watch to nine minutes past 10 o’clock.
It’s certainly not just as coincidence though, as Quartz noticed the subtle detail appears on every single Apple Watch image.
Apple also threw a nod to Steve Jobs on the face of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus advertisements by setting the time to 9:41 – the time of day he unveiled the original iPhone in 2007.
Watchmakers have preferred using ten past 10 for its symmetry and because it doesn’t obscure the maker’s logo below the 12. The tradition dates all the way back to 1926 with the Hamilton Watch Company. Apple isn’t the first to break from the tradition though, as others like Oris and Timex use different times on their ads.
Via: Quartz