Why is the ROMAN NUMERAL 4 spelled “IIII” and not “IV”?
1990s Zenith Tank
Take a look at this watch for a few seconds and find the anomaly. Alright, we’ll give you a clue. It’s in the numbers. Still haven’t found it? Look at the number 9...you’re going to notice there’s nothing wrong with it, and you’re right! It is spelled correctly, “IX” in Roman numerals. So, why is the 4 spelled “IIII” and not “IV”? No, it’s not brand specific, check any other watch with roman numerals. And no, it wasn’t the mistake of an intern; it’s a phenomenon that has confounded horologists since ancient times – even Roman sundials alternated between “IX” and “IIII”. One theory is that since Jupiter’s name was spelled “IVPPITER” in Latin, to avoid putting their main deity’s name on sundials and other objects they started to use “IIII”. Another is that King Louis XIV also preferred to use “IIII”, to avoid confounding it with his title, “XIV”.
In terms of watchmaking today the reason is simple: symmetry. For any object, symmetry is a design principle which, in theory, increases consumer’s appreciation of the object and renders its proportions more harmonious. Symmetry and aesthetics are even rooted in mathematics, take a loot at the Golden Ratio, for example. For timepieces, these principles are used to make them oh-so pleasing to look at. Watchmakers understood it a long time ago, realizing that using “IIII” instead of “IV” was preferred by their customers. If you write Roman numerals in the traditional way, from 1 to 12, you would have: 3 numbers using bars, 5 numbers using bars and “V”, and 4 numbers using bars and “X”. It’d be off-balance. By using “IIII”, you have 4,4, and 4. Using this simple tweak, also referred to as the additive principle, allowed watchmakers to have more symmetrical dials by having more balanced numbers - and potentially sell more watches. In any event, very few watch brands use “IV” on their dials today; it’s simply no longer fashionable.
By: Simon Pontroue