A tattoo with the image of a clock is the choice of bright personalities for whom the meaning in everything is important. Such tattoos are chosen equally by romantic girls and rational, strong men. Time is one of the main values in this world; it cannot be bought. People strive to cheat time, stay young longer, turn life back in order to correct the mistakes of the past or bring something back.
The meaning of watches in the world and in history.
- Clock towers as a symbol of power and wealth. In the UK it is Big Ben, printed on every postcard and souvenir from England. In Russia, this is the Kremlin and the Kremlin clock, as a symbol of the greatness of the country.
- Ancient Greece - with a clock they depicted the thunderer Zeus, the just Themis and the solar Helios.
- A wristwatch determines status and demonstrates strength, power and wealth to others. Attribute of a successful person.
- Christianity - Saints Ambrose and Mary Magdalene are depicted with a clock.
- Shaivism and Indian mythology - the hourglass as a cyclic symbol on Dammaru (Shiva's drum).
- Ancient Rome - the hourglass is a symbol of death, “memento mori”.
Depending on the execution and style, the meaning of the clock tattoo will change. The location on the body opposite has no semantic meaning. The choice of location is determined only by personal preferences and the size of the sketch.
Clock tattoo meaning and design options
- Sand is a symbol of fatalism and the transience of time. This tattoo is chosen by people who believe in fate and that everything in this world is predetermined.
- With a dial without hands or numbers - life without much meaning or without bright events. Often used as a symbol of wasted time.
- With numbers and arrows indicating the exact time - in memory of an important event that divided life into “before” and “after”. Parents make such clock tattoos indicating the time of birth of their children in memory of this happy moment.
- Pictures of many small details of the mechanism are stuffed by people who want to understand complex and confusing life circumstances.
- Encrusted with precious stones - a symbol of the search for meaning in life.
- The exact time on the dial and the raven - memorable date, associated with the death of a loved one.
- The clock and the skull are a symbol of the proximity of death, that everything in life has an end. Most often this tattoo is painted in black and white.
- A clock and a compass are a symbol of travelers, people looking for direction in life, where time is so fleeting.
- A watch with roses and butterflies is a frivolous option for romantic and sophisticated girls, because happy hours do not watch.
- With a broken dial or broken hands - unfulfilled hopes, like a desire to turn the page of failure in the book of life.
- Paired with an owl - book erudition, erudition and the value of time. As a symbol of the fact that it is never too late to learn.
- Pocket - as a symbol of the soul. The personification of inner strength and beauty and how unimportant external ones are. It's the candy that's important, not the wrapper.
Definitely, a clock tattoo carries meaning and the choice of one or another design can change the direction of life. Superstitious people believe that the image of a clock on the body endows the owner of such a tattoo with wisdom or, on the contrary, dooms it to premature death. Choose what is right for you, you can’t go wrong in this matter.
A clock is a truly philosophical tattoo that is done quite rarely. However, the issue of time is always relevant for everyone. You constantly want to do more, go back a few hours, days or even years ago and correct something, do things differently. It is in irrevocability and limitation that the value of time lies. Therefore, a clock tattoo is the story of a person’s life; you can really learn a lot from it.
The clock flows down the man's hand
Who gets a clock tattoo?
Usually these are people with a sober outlook on life who have something to tell about themselves. They have experienced a lot and have already formed as individuals, which means there is something to talk about with them and, perhaps, something to learn. After all, time has always been associated not only with death and history, but also with knowledge, wisdom and everyday experience.
Old School Colored Clock
Important! Of course, there are also those who got a tattoo in the form of a clock when they were young and did not attach much importance to it. Such a tattoo will not be distinguished by an abundance of details and is usually located on the wrist and depicts an expensive, “status” watch. Moreover, it often looks tasteless and betrays the frivolity of the person who made such a tattoo.
But for the most part, the owners of this symbol are quite self-contained people who are not afraid to talk about complex topics, including questions of the meaning of life.
This composition is presented in the form of a watch with a rose. I think it looks very beautiful.
Where is the best place to get a clock tattoo?
There is no specific place of application, so the tattoo does not change its meaning depending on where it is located. But usually the back, chest, shoulder or arm are chosen for it, because that is where the watch looks most beautiful and organic.
A watch with a touch of watercolor and trash
There is a clock tattoo. I drew the sketches myself and spent a lot of time, but the result is worth it. I found exactly the option that accurately reflects me and how I perceive life, what its meaning is for me.
Margarita, Kursk.
Clock tattoo meaning
Like all old symbols, the clock has more than one meaning. Moreover, they are all not inferior to each other in depth and importance. To understand them, first of all it is worth noting that there are two types of watches: sand and with a dial. This also plays a role, although not the main one.
- Hourglass tattoo means the transience of time and a limited life span, reminds us that we must live it with meaning and not waste our energy in vain, and also not do something that you will regret later.
- A watch with a dial without hands or numbers– this is the tattoo owner’s regret about time spent aimlessly. It is also a reminder of the value of time and a worthy motivation to use it wisely. The dial may be completely empty.
- Arrows can show the time or date of an important event in a person’s life, both joyful and sad.
- If a tattoo has a carefully drawn clock mechanism and depicts small details, gears and even unusual patterns in every detail, then a person lives a very rich life and solves many difficult problems along the way.
- For prisoners, the clock tattoo reflects the time spent in prison or remaining until amnesty.
The clock shatters into smithereens
I made myself a clock on both hands. The arrows show the exact time of birth of my two children. Their initials are also written on the dials. It looks great, I'm completely satisfied and I think getting these tattoos was the right decision.
Igor, Voronezh.
Pocket watch in black and white version
History of the clock symbol
In the culture of ancient Greece, clocks symbolized the inexorability and transience of life, as well as the impossibility of turning back time, returning or changing some moments. The Greeks were also distinguished by the fact that they loved and valued each age in their own way, perceiving it as an important stage in the life of every person, which must be experienced wisely and filled with meaning. Childhood is a time of excitement and knowledge of the world. Youth is a time of adventure and crazy deeds. Maturity is the flowering of spirit and body. Old age is wisdom and life experience that needs to be passed on to descendants.
An excellent composition for girls, a watch with roses on the shoulder - it looks very gentle and light
Did you know? The clock is also a symbol of the main gods of Olympus: the thunderer Zeus, the sun god Helios and the goddess of justice Themis.
In Indian, Chinese and Japanese cultures, clocks are not given such importance. This is due to the fact that their religions support the idea of reincarnation, the eternity of everything in the world and the immortality of the soul. Due to such views on life, clock tattoos are extremely rare among these peoples.
Composition with roses, clocks, inscriptions and birds
Brief summary
As you can see, a clock tattoo is truly one of the most powerful symbols in human history. It reflects the essence of life both for an individual person and for the whole world as a whole. After all, for everyone there is a transition from a baby to an old man, for everyone, without exception, the concept of time is significant. Time is the only thing that both rich and poor possess equally. It cannot be bought for any money, which is why it is so valuable and everyone is afraid of not having time to do something significant. It is very important to learn how to use it wisely and not waste it on unnecessary quarrels, insults and unreasonable actions. It's always nice to know that you are not living in vain.
Video: top 20 tattoo watches
Clock tattoo designs
A clock tattoo has a deep philosophical meaning. Clocks have always been a symbol of time, fate and the transience of human life.
In Ancient Greece, clocks (also hourglasses) were associated with the ruler of fate, Zeus, as well as Helios and Themis, gods of the sun and justice.
General value
A person who has a clock tattoo on his body is usually wise and sedate, he has a philosophical mindset, rationality and thoughtfulness. He tries not to waste his life, every minute counts for him, and he manages time skillfully. One can also say about him that he thinks about the meaning of life.
A clock tattoo can also mean that a person once had an event (not always pleasant) that he does not want to forget. A clock (also an hourglass) can also count down the minutes to some important upcoming event.
You can often find a tattoo with an image hourglass. Its meaning is similar to simple watch. A person does not want to waste a second, realizing that life is fleeting and perishable.
A clock tattoo can often be seen in combination with sakura, which is similar in meaning. It symbolizes the perishability of life and sadness over the passing minutes.
Clock tattoo on a woman's body
Women often get a tattoo in the shape of a clock (also an hourglass). Its presence on the body means that common human values are not alien to this person. She is honest with others and herself, knows how to plan her time, she always has order - both in her home and in her thoughts. She is also distinguished by her patience.
If the clock on the tattoo is depicted without hands, the meaning of this symbol is as follows: this representative female has lost the meaning of life, life is difficult and painful for her. Perhaps a tattoo with a clock without hands symbolizes the loss of a loved one.
In men
Men get a tattoo in the shape of a clock (also an hourglass) even more often than women. It can be found among philosophers, poets, travelers - among thinking people who know what they want from life and try not to sit still. They are distinguished by fearlessness and some stubbornness. It can be difficult for them to get along with people, but, as a rule, they make friends devotedly and faithfully, without abandoning their friends in trouble.
On men you can sometimes find a tattoo depicting a clock mechanism, in all its realistic details. This means that a person sees life as a complex mechanism where everything is interconnected, he accepts it in all its versatility and is ready to understand it to the last detail. He is also characterized by scrupulousness both at work and in family matters.
Clock and underworld tattoo
Tattoo (tattoo) clock (also hourglass) is quite common among criminals who are serving time in prison. Its meaning is easily explained.
A person wants to be released and is counting the minutes until this happens. A tattoo (tattoo) can also symbolize the day on which the crime was committed.
This is the meaning of this image (both on the hand and on other parts of the body).
Typically, hourglass tattoos carry a deep philosophical meaning, and their owners choose the design as seriously as possible. An hourglass tattoo can have many different meanings. It is better not to look for a sketch of a tattoo with an hourglass among different pictures, but simply ask your artist - let him draw a unique one exactly to your requirements.
Firstly, such a tattoo can be made for a philosopher who does not want to live his life in vain, thereby symbolizing the fact that the time allotted to each person is not unlimited. In this case, this tattoo should remind you that you need to constantly develop yourself, not stand in one place and not waste your time and vitality.
Among other things, people can get such a tattoo for themselves, thereby trying to remind themselves and others that death will sooner or later overtake everyone (of course, the ultimate goal of all this is to make people enjoy every moment of life).
Secondly, people get hourglass tattoos as a reminder of some period of time in life or some important event for themselves.
Very often, under a tattoo with an image of an hourglass, inscriptions like “Time passes” or the names of extremely important events for a person (for example, the birth of a child) are written. A broken hourglass implies some kind of misfortune, and an hourglass with wings metaphorically implies that time flies like birds.
Hourglass tattoo video
Below are photos of hourglass tattoos from different artists for your inspiration.
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Clock tattoo meaning
Clock tattoos are worn by both men and women. The deep meaning of this tattoo does not change depending on how the image of the clock is applied: in accordance with a certain style or as an extreme design. Images of watches are applied in various styles; the places where they are applied are most often the shoulders, arms, back or chest.
The clock tattoo contains a dual meaning. On the one hand, the clock is a symbol of the transience of life, an indication that human life is unpredictable and can stop at any moment, and that people do not know their future. On the other hand, a tattoo with the image of a clock serves as a reminder for its wearer of some important, almost fateful event in his life, which divided human existence into “before” and “after”; For such a person, the image of a clock is a sign that time has begun to count down from a certain moment and the owner of the tattoo wants the clock to be a kind of reminder of this.
The numbers depicted on the tattooed clock mean some important period of a person’s life (date, hours, minutes), from which the countdown of the “other” life began.
A symbol of life passing without meaning, without any significant, important events, is a tattoo of a clock without hands either. Similar sketches are quite often found among photographs of already applied tattoos.
A tattoo with an hourglass has a special meaning, which lies in the fact that time is beyond the control of humanity, that it constantly and hopelessly disappears like sand in an hourglass.
If the sketch of a clock tattoo depicts gems, this is a sign that the owner of such a tattoo puts the search for the meaning of life as his main task.
A tattoo of a watch with a complex clock mechanism, depicting various small details, characterizes a person who encounters various difficult circumstances in life, and is ready to deal with them and customize them “for himself.”
