Roman Numeral IIII?

[PJS500]

Is this too pickey? I am kind of a detail person. Why it that the Roman Dial, very popular, has the incorrect "Roman Numeral" for 4? Imagine if they had to put in a 9 (IX). VIIII? IIIIIIIII? Is that the real reason for the DD2? They needed more room?

[Colnago]

Almost all watches and clocks with Roman numeral dials use this method to display 4.....arrapently it makes the dial more symetrical....at least that's what I was told....

[Speed]

Originally Posted by PJS500

Is this too pickey? I am kind of a detail person. Why it that the Roman Dial, very popular, has the incorrect "Roman Numeral" for 4? Imagine if they had to put in a 9 (IX). VIIII? IIIIIIIII? Is that the real reason for the DD2? They needed more room?

A "kind" of a detail (SIC) person? For watch dials, but not for spelling, eh?

[rosspanics]

Just another reason that I will never buy a roman numeral watch..

[steven.veres]

I was told that they use IIII because going around the dial you will have:

4 consecutive roman numerals using only Is: { I, II, III, IIII }
4 consecutive roman numerals exclusively containing Vs: { V, VI, VII, VIII }
4 consecutive roman numerals exclusively containing Xs: { IX, X, XI, XII }

And there's the symmetry!

[niner niner seven]

Originally Posted by steven.veres

I was told that they use IIII because going around the dial you will have:

4 consecutive roman numerals using only Is: { I, II, III, IIII }
4 consecutive roman numerals exclusively containing Vs: { V, VI, VII, VIII }
4 consecutive roman numerals exclusively containing Xs: { IX, X, XI, XII }

And there's the symmetry!

this is interesting, i have always wondered but never knew

[Alcan]

This question goes back a long way (to the age of sundials, actually). One of the more widely accepted theories is that clocks and watches originally used IIII rather than IV out of respect for the Roman God Jupiter, whose name in Latin begins IV. That, and having the dial "balanced".

http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/49669

http://www.ubr.com/clocks/frequently...ock-dials.aspx

http://trusted-forwarder.org/elgin/help/roman_IIII.html

Btw, not all Roman dials use IIII:

[PJS500]

Originally Posted by Speed

A "kind" of a detail (SIC) person? For watch dials, but not for spelling, eh?

Huh? Since I am "kind of a detail person" I googled the phrase "kind of a detail person." There are over 6000 references. Throw in "kind of a detail guy" and you get a couple of thousand more. It is an idiom. What am I missing?

[baxta69]

Originally Posted by Colnago

Almost all watches and clocks with Roman numeral dials use this method to display 4.....arrapently it makes the dial more symetrical....at least that's what I was told....

I was told the same thing

[Art161]

Originally Posted by PJS500

Huh? Since I am "kind of a detail person" I googled the phrase "kind of a detail person." There are over 6000 references. Throw in "kind of a detail guy" and you get a couple of thousand more. It is an idiom. What am I missing?

I didn't quite follow that either. But we could mention "pickey."

[GradyPhilpott]

Here's what "The Straight Dope" has to say on the matter dating from 1986.

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/...-instead-of-iv

[PJS500]

Originally Posted by Art161

I didn't quite follow that either. But we could mention "pickey."

Got me.

[buke45]

I still love he roman dial!!!

[rmfnla]

Originally Posted by rosspanics

Just another reason that I will never buy a roman numeral watch..

Really?

Just how long is that list..?

[melman]

My wife just asked me about this on hers. Lol! Search and ye will find the answer.

[Tony64]

Better symmetry with the "IIII"

[nikesupremedunk]

I noticed this too and always wondered. Does look better with the IIII though now that I imagine it with a IV.

[Dirt]

It visually balances the VIII of the number 8 on the other side of the dial by providing some symmetry to the dial.
Besides, IIII is not incorrect as it's the earliest form of the roman number 4.

Speaking of numerals.
Why is it that the numbers we accept as being Arabic in the western world, actually bear little resemblance to the real Arabic numerals which are more beautiful?

[Cru Jones]

For as long as there have been watches (and before), this has been a convention.