Smiley Faces: The Evaluation of Watches as a Function of the Time Displayed

Abstract

Wristwatch advertisements show a preference for having the watch hands displaying the time 1:50 or 10:10 which suggest a “smiley face”. This paper reports two studies, one with students, the other with non-students. Participants rated six different watches showing six times on four different scales: perceived attractiveness, expensiveness, the income level of the typical wearer of the watch, and the sense of style of the typical wearer of the watch. Time shown had no effect on the ratings of the watches. Implications and limitations are considered.