The tattoo depicting the clock tattoo is certainly one of the most popular in the world since it is possible to make it in different styles and allows it to be customized to your liking. You can find designs for all tastes, black and white, colored, vintage or realistic.
The subject can be represented in different ways, such as a pocket watch, the face of a tower, or, for the more imaginative, a wristwatch. Thanks to the help of a good tattoo artist it is possible to create a masterpiece and make it three-dimensional too, obtaining truly remarkable results. The clock is often juxtaposed with other designs mainly depicting skulls, hourglasses, scrolls, compasses, and roses. You can create compositions for all needs and express many different meanings.
The meaning of the clock is unequivocally linked to the passage of time, a theme that has always fascinated and frightened men. Its interpretations are many and vary according to the different conceptions that can be had on this subject. Time can be seen as a greedy devourer or creator of wonders, it all lies in how you use it and how long you stop to think about its flow. Tattooing this object on your skin means, in a certain way, evading its laws and stopping a lived moment forever.
Clock Tattoo: the meanings
Commemorate an important event in your life
Thanks to the watch it is possible to mark a precise time on the skin to represent an important event that happened in one’s life. Whether it is for a positive event, such as the birth of a child, or for a negative one, such as the death of a loved one, the watch is perfectly suited as a commemorative tattoo for all significant occasions.
Organization
Another meaning of the clock is related to the organization and birth of modern man. Perfectly marking time is synonymous with precision and method. Tattooing a watch can mean that you have managed to put your life in order and fix unpleasant situations.
The eternal return
A more positive view of time sees the clock as the symbol of the eternal return of things, a continuous succession of days, months, and years that leads to the resolution of all problems. It means that even if things go wrong, time still passes and takes everything away with it in an eternal and continuous cycle. Nothing can be so serious when compared to the infinity of time.
Seize the day
Deciding to tattoo a watch can coincide with the need and the desire to want to live every moment of your life intensely. Associated with exhortative phrases it works as a warning to remind you that life is short and runs away fast, you have to enjoy all the moments of happiness, even the most trivial ones before it is too late to do so.
Soft watches by Salvador Dalì
A particular type of tattoo depicts the soft clocks created by Salvador Dali in some of his famous paintings. The symbolic meaning of these subjects indicates the relativity of time based on one’s subjectivity. The painter questions the objective flow of time since his perception changes according to the activity that is taking place. Two minutes are not the same, they can go fast if they are pleasant or slowly if they are unpleasant.!
Clock and rose tattoo
If you are looking for a rather meaningful design, then a rose and a clock are great choices for you! Not only is this tattoo visually interesting, but it is also full of symbolism, being able to represent life and love well. The flower is in fact one of the most beautiful and popular images to tattoo due to its meaning, seen and considered that it represents love and passion, pain and death, depending on the color you choose. The placement of your tattoo is also important; to allow for enough detail, be sure to choose an area of the body that is large enough, such as an arm or thigh.
Broken clock tattoo
Timetables affect our lives and, as a society, we attach great importance to time. But what if you wanted to reject it instead? What would happen in living a freer existence, breaking the structure and the rules? One way to represent these thoughts would be to use a broken clock tattoo. There are many interpretations of this design, and it could even be associated with leaving the past behind.
Tattoo of an old clock
There are many different types of watches, and all of them have far more meaning than just letting us know what time it is. In general, a watch is associated with our impermanence and how nothing lasts forever. For example, it could represent a balance between life and death, and it’s a great choice to get a tattoo if you often contemplate your state of mortality. When deciding which design you want to ink on your skin, you may therefore be inspired by the more classic look of watches, such as a pocket watch. Or maybe you could end up preferring a more particular look, especially if you are getting this tattoo done to represent a loved one, such as a grandfather, who may have owned one of these objects that we now want to portray on the skin.
Melting clock tattoo
If you are a fan of the great Spanish artist Salvador Dali, you may already be familiar with his melting clock design. Dali is celebrated for his surrealist works, and he used this image in what is arguably one of his most iconic accomplishments. It represents a dream state and indicates how useless our obsession with time can be. Many of us look at the clock every day to make sure we are sticking to our schedules, ending up being constantly guided by routine and precision. If you wish to escape from it all and live a freer existence, then this body art could be a way to represent your feelings.
Roman numeral clock tattoo
Roman numeral tattoos are a great way to remember a special date or moment in your life. They could represent the birth of a loved one or the passing of a loved one. When combined with a watch, this symbolism is particularly significant this would be the perfect tattoo for a man who is a thinker, but he also wants to honor a moment in time that has significantly changed who he is.
Compass clock tattoo
If you want a clock tattoo, but also want a design that symbolizes direction and luck, why not combine it with a compass? This tattoo is very suitable for men who want to remember the essential things in their life and prevent them from losing their way. To make your body art even more personal, you can choose where the hands of your watch will stop or add various other elements that are meaningful to you. Some element suggestions you might include are navigation tools like maps, or perhaps birds or arrows.
Heart and clock tattoo
What better way to honor someone you love than with body art? Tattoos are meant to last forever and are an excellent way to remind yourself of the people who have made a significant impact on your life, both living and deceased. A heart clock design could represent endless love, and the clock’s hands could be used to indicate important dates, such as birth or death. Men who want to make their tattoos even more unique can choose to add various other elements to it, such as names, initials, or images of roses or skulls.
Lion and clock tattoo
The lion is considered the king of the jungle, a powerful and respected animal, associated with courage and strength. A tattoo of this big cat could also represent the wearer’s ability to overcome a struggle in their own life. And if you want to add even more meaning to your tattoo, then you might end up including a watch as well. The combination of these two elements is full of symbolism and makes the tattoo interesting and inspiring. Perhaps it could well emphasize the importance of having direction in your life, or honor a moment when you acted bravely!
Skull and clock tattoo
One of the coolest things about the clock tattoo is that it works well with different kit items and that people can choose to add images like skulls to their tattoos to make it even more personal and meaningful. The focus of this particular drawing is evidently on death, and for this very reason, it could be a particularly attractive option for a man who contemplates his mortality and wants to remember to live every day to the fullest. Or it could be a way to pay homage to the death of a loved one, using the hands of the clock to mark the time of passing away.
Clock gears tattoo
Traditional watches are complicated and beautiful, requiring a series of small gears to function. With this in mind, it’s not hard to see why a tattoo like this would be attractive – it shows the importance of cooperation and focuses on how various elements are needed to make your watch work. It could be a good tattoo to remind you of how you need the people in your life to work right or the effect you have on those around you. Regardless of your take on this tattoo, we can all agree that it is an overwhelming positive tattoo that will be a fantastic addition to your body art!
Digital clock tattoo
Clock tattoos are a fantastic way to honor important moments in your life. Most of the designs focus on the more traditional look of the watches, perhaps because they are more visually interesting or a tribute to the past. The beauty of this creative design is that you can clearly show the date and time, giving it special importance. For example, it could be when your child was born, or it could be a beautiful commemorative ink for a grandfather who has passed away. If you want to make it truly special, you could even get a tattoo of the exact model of the watch your loved one was wearing.