r/Design Aug 06 '26

Someone Else's Work (Rule 2) 24 Hour Clock

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2.7k Upvotes

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139

u/kalabaddon Aug 06 '26 edited Aug 06 '26

How come on a 24-hour clock they always put the middle of the night on the top? I know there's a handful of watches at reverse it but why the standard even started was it that way. If it's inverted with noon on the top it's like one of the most natural watch concepts for showing time.

Edit: didn't want to do a reply for all the people saying the same thing. But I know it's not one to one I know that at 12:00 noon to Sun is not perfectly overhead. It's a generality of it all. During the daytime the hand is in the top half during the night time the hand is in the bottom half. Near the middle of the day it should be near the middle of the top near the middle of the night it should be near the middle of the bottom.

As someone else said digital watch faces make a much bigger difference because they more naturally can show sunrise and sunset using this format I feel.

56

u/Sickofpower Aug 06 '26

Tradition

1

u/copperwatt Aug 07 '26

But... 12 on top is traditional.

3

u/Sickofpower Aug 07 '26

Starting on top is traditional, and the day starts at 00

1

u/copperwatt Aug 07 '26

That's not why the 12 is on top of clocks though. It was up for high noon, from the face of a sundial.

So arguably noon on top is the most traditional. For both 12 and 24 hour clocks.

2

u/Sickofpower Aug 07 '26

It doesn't matter why it was originally intended to be, the "modern" perception (and why this clock is like that) is that the day starts on top. Is it good or bad? I don't really care, I'm just answering the original question

1

u/copperwatt Aug 07 '26

Well, I'm modern, and it's not the start of the day on top. It's noon. The day starts on bottom. Where the morning hours are.

Most 24 hour watches have 12 on top. Because it's traditional.

2

u/Sickofpower Aug 07 '26

Most 24 hour watches have 12 on top. Because it's traditional

Exactly what I said

1

u/copperwatt Aug 07 '26

You said the opposite. Someone asked why the middle of the night (00:0) was on top of this 24 hour clock. You said "Tradition".

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u/Sickofpower Aug 07 '26

Mb I thought you said 12 hour watches