Clock tattoos and their meaning. Hourglass tattoo with skull sketch
There are 24 time zones on Earth. China is in 4 of them. However, the time is the same throughout the country. The government of the Celestial Empire issued a decree that its inhabitants set their clocks according to Pikin.
This is an example of how ambiguous time is and how differently it can be interpreted. Diverse and views on the "Clock" - a symbol of time. Let's try to understand the meanings of the paintings on the topic of the main resource in life.
The meaning of the tattoo "Watch"
Memory is the first interpretation clock tattoo. Meaning tattoos are associated with certain events. The hands on the dial count the minutes and days that have passed since the moment of happiness, an important meeting or a bitter loss.
In addition to the memories of the past, the clock can also indicate the events of the future. In this case, the picture serves as a guideline that does not allow you to stray from the right path.
About the phrase "like sand through the fingers" reminds hourglass tattoo. The device was invented in ancient Greece, in particular, Athens. Even then, sand clocks were proclaimed a sign of inexorability and inevitability.
Time slips away, seeps through the fingers and the reason for this, from the point of view of the inhabitants of Antiquity, is the Gods. The hourglass was associated with Zeus, Themis and Helios, the patron saint of the Sun.
Tattoo sketches "Clock" at the same time indicate the inevitability of death and the fact that a person still has time. There are minutes for important accomplishments. A tattoo helps to get together, take everything from life, not “burn through” it in vain.
That is, drawings with clocks are motivators. They are often compared with those dedicated to sakura. Japanese cherry blossoms fall within a couple of days after opening. Just as fleeting and one of time. You need to have time to enjoy it.
What does clock tattoo mean depends on the nuances of the image. For example, a dial without hands is an emblem of a life lived in vain, a worthless existence. Cuckoo models are a tribute to ancestors, a craving for antiquity and stability.
Beak-Ben is a symbol of England, and hence stiffness, aristocracy. The sundial personifies the connection with the sky, space. Tattoo "Hourglass" - sketches, speaking not only about the "fluidity" of time, but also the possibility of turning it over, at least changing your sense of minutes and days.
Popular clock tattoo designs
Hourglass Tattoo Meaning discussed above is not popular. Apparently, the spirit of Antiquity is alien to modern people. They are more likely to ask for standard models with hands and a dial. But the numbers on them are from Antiquity.
In 70% of cases, salon clients request Roman designations. The images of the clock on the back are also in demand. The internal mechanism of the accessory is drawn. This is a symbol of the fact that time has a certain device. The main thing is to understand this device, to comprehend it.
Clock on hand - tattoo, which is used most frequently. The dials are also depicted between the shoulder blades, near the heart, or next to the collarbones.
If a broken clock is drawn, it is a symbol of unfulfilled hopes, lost days. In high esteem among fans and models in the style of Salvador Dali. The shape of the clock indicates the fluidity of time. No wonder they say about him: - "This is a river."
Sketches based on Lewis Carroll's fairy tale "Alice in Wonderland" are often used. One of the characters in the story is a rabbit. He does not part with his pocket watch and is always in a hurry somewhere. Therefore, drawings with a fabulous rabbit and a dial are a symbol of constant haste, lack of minutes, hours, days.
Non-standard sketches of the clock tattoo
Clock tattoo - photo, which often surprise with their unusualness. Instead of quartz particles, sand models may contain blood. This becomes a sign that time is life itself. You can understand the tattoo in another way: - existence is bloody and frightening.
Tattoo "24 hours" complete with an open eye in the middle of the dial. This creates the impression that time is not just a physical substance, but someone. This someone, perhaps God, is watching how we live our days, what we spend them on.
Tattoo "Half an hour", as well as a full-fledged image of the mechanism, is presented in the form of a key. He unlocks and closes the door of life. The dial is placed on the handle of the key. If you paint it in gold, the price of time becomes clear.
It must be appreciated, because one day the seconds will “pull the trigger”. With this in mind, some masters suggest depicting a watch in the form of a pistol.
A screen with numbers is placed under the trigger. Weapons can be displayed in a section. So you can better see the internal structure of the gun and what it represents.
Always depicted on the body. But, there are sketches that create the effect of cutting through, peeking out from under the skin. Artists draw the contours of the wound, cuts of flesh, as if revealing the insides of a person.
A clock peeking out of a gaping hole in the chest is a sign of a dramatic perception of life. If the mechanism is made in the form of a heart, it is also a symbol of the fact that time is the basis of any person, it is it that “drives” blood through the veins.
Once ordinary watches can also be non-standard. In ancient China, for example, they were bundles with tied knots. They were placed at the same distance from each other. After that, the rope was set on fire, counting the number of burnt knots.
This is how time was measured. With its passage, many traditions have sunk into oblivion. So, contemporaries understand the word "moment" one, or a couple of seconds.
Meanwhile, the concept is English. A couple of centuries ago, a moment in the UK was called an interval of one and a half minutes. Here is another evidence of the relativity of time and its understanding by mankind.
The clock is a truly philosophical tattoo, which is rarely done. However, the issue of time is always relevant for everyone. I constantly want to do more, go back a few hours, days or even years ago and fix something, do something different. It is in irrevocableness and limitation that the value of time lies. Therefore, a clock tattoo is a story of a person’s life, you can really learn a lot from it.
The clock runs down the man's hand
Who tattoos the clock
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, there is something to learn. After all, time has always been associated not only with death and history, but also with knowledge, wisdom and worldly experience.
Color clock in the style of Old School
Important! Of course, there are also those who made themselves a tattoo in the form of a clock in their youth 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 rather self-contained people who are not afraid to talk about complex topics, including questions about the meaning of life.
This composition is presented in the form of a clock with a rose. I think it looks very nice.
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 they choose for her back, chest, shoulder or arm, because it is there that the watch looks most beautiful and organic.
Clock with a touch of watercolor and trash
There is a clock tattoo. I drew 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 is its meaning for me.
Margarita, Kursk.
The meaning of the clock tattoo
Like all old symbols, hours have more than one meaning. Moreover, they are 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: hourglass and dial. It also plays a role, although not the main one.
- hourglass tattoo means the transience of time and a limited life span, reminds you that you need to live it with meaning and not waste your energy in vain, and also not do something that you will regret later.
- Clock face without hands or numbers- this is the regret of the owner of the tattoo about the time he lived aimlessly. It is also a reminder of the value of time and a worthy motivation to use it wisely. The dial can be completely empty.
- Arrows can show the time or date of an important event in a person's life, both joyful and sad.
- If the clock mechanism is carefully drawn on the tattoo and small details, gears and even unusual patterns are depicted in all details, then the person lives a very busy life and solves many difficult tasks along the way.
- For prisoners, the tattooed clock reflects the time spent in prison or remaining before the amnesty.
The clock is shattered
I made myself on both hands by the hour. The arrows show the exact time of birth of my two children. Their initials are also written on the dials. It looks great, I am completely satisfied and I think that getting these tattoos was the right decision.
Igor, Voronezh.
B&W pocket watch
History of the watch symbol
In the culture of ancient Greece, the clock symbolized the inexorability and transience of life, as well as the inability to turn back time, return or change 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 enthusiasm and knowledge of the world. Youth is a time of adventure and crazy deeds. Maturity is the flowering of the spirit and body. Old age is wisdom and life experience that needs to be passed on to posterity.
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, watches are not given such attention. 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. In view of such views on life, clock tattoos are extremely rare among these peoples.
Composition with roses, clock, inscriptions and birds
Brief summary
As you can see, the clock tattoo is really one of the most powerful symbols in the history of mankind. It reflects the essence of life as an individual, and the world as a whole. Indeed, for everyone, the transition from a baby to an old man is characteristic, for everyone, without exception, the concept of time is weighty. Time is the only thing that both the rich and the poor have in equal measure. It cannot be bought for any money, that's 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 competently and not waste it on unnecessary quarrels, resentments and unreasonable actions. It's always nice to know that you're not living in vain.
Video: top 20 tattoo watches
Clock tattoo sketches
Depicting a watch on their body, many people tend to remember some important moment of their lives. It can be a moment of spiritual enlightenment or lingering weeks of prolonged depression, exciting moments of inspiration or long moral torments. Be that as it may, the tattooed watch will remain a reminder of what really mattered or matters to you.
inevitability
A very popular interpretation of a clock tattoo is the inevitability of death, the transience of life. The hands of the clock run in a circle, and every day flows like sand through your fingers. Although such an interpretation may seem gloomy to some, one can see a deep philosophy in it. The meaning of the clock symbol is close to the meaning of the famous Latin expression "Remember death." Every time you look at your watch and realize yourself, you learn to appreciate every second of your life.
Soul emptiness
We give this interpretation to tattoos with clocks without hands. This symbol is rather gloomy, but not devoid of wisdom. A clock that does not show time is the personification of lost years. Some understand this symbol in a slightly different way. For example, there is an expression "Happy hours do not watch." There is some truth in this simple aphorism. To stop keeping track of time means to know the value of every minute and enjoy life without being tied to numbers and arrows.
Evolution or transitional state
In many cultures, watches symbolize the era of change or the process of transition from one state to another. Watches are often perceived as the relationship of life and death. We are born and die every second. In this philosophical saying, you can find the key to understanding the idea of a clock tattoo.
Coincidence and fortune
Watches are not only a symbol of inevitability. They represent the fact that a person has complete control over his life, you just need to want to discover this gift in yourself. A clock in a tattoo design will become your kind of alarm clock that will remind you that everything you wish for is in your hands.
Hourglass
Separately, I would like to say a few words about the hourglass, as they are a popular tattoo plot. The hourglass symbolizes the passage of time, the process of cause and effect. Among the popular interpretations of this symbol are the following:
- Cyclic life;
- The interaction of creative and destructive forces;
- Decay of the world.
Styles and places
As you understand, the clock is such a broad symbol that it is not possible to determine the ideal tattoo style for it. It all depends on the idea of the author of the tattoo. The same is true for choosing a place for a tattoo. The location is chosen based on the context of the picture itself. But from the popular places we will mention the following:
- Wrist and inner side of the forearm;
- chest and abdomen;
- Back side of the hand.
Celebrities
We managed to find one famous person who tattooed a clock on his body. This is Carys Anderson with an unusual tattoo on her arm. The elegant drawing is done in a traditional style using pink, black and yellow ink.
Clock tattoo - this image is chosen by both men and women. It does not matter which image of the clock is chosen - stylized or extremely realistic, the philosophical meaning of this tattoo does not change. Clock tattoo sketches are made in a variety of styles and are most often applied to the arm, shoulder, back or chest.
The meaning of clock tattoos is twofold. The clock can symbolize the transience of time for people, the transience of human life, this is a sign that human life can stop at any moment and no one knows for sure their future.
The second meaning of a clock tattoo is a reminder of some important, fateful event that divided a person’s life into “before and after”. This is a sign that from a certain moment in the life of the moment a new countdown began, and the owner of the tattoo wants to always have a kind of reminder of this with him.
The numbers depicted on the dial can indicate some important date for a person or those minutes of life from which a new countdown of life began.
The meaning of the clock, depicted without arrows or numbers, symbolizes that life passes without meaning, there are no important events in it. Such sketches can often be found among the photos of tattoos.
The image of an hourglass is a tattoo with a special meaning, because time is not subject to a person, and the time allotted for human life, alas, is not infinite, it endlessly ducks.
A sketch of a clock tattoo, on which the watch case is decorated with precious stones, is a symbol of the fact that a person is puzzled by the search for the meaning of life.
The image of a complex clockwork, a combination of many small details is a symbol of the fact that a person with such a tattoo on his body meets circumstances in life. In which he is ready to understand and customize them in his own way.
Among the ancient Greeks, watches embodied the ideas of the inevitability and inexorability of being, were associated with the gods: the supreme god, the thunderer Zeus, Themis - the goddess of justice and divination, Helios - the god of the sun.
Clock tattoos in Eastern culture are quite rare. Since people who profess Buddhism and Confucianism have special views on the world, there is the concept of reincarnation.
The clock tattoo is very worthy and philosophical. It reflects the philosophical views of the world and self-consciousness of its owner.
Watch tattoo video
Check out the video where the tattoo artist performs a very beautiful clock tattoo on the forearm in a watercolor style.
And below are photos of tattoos depicting watches from different masters.
The hourglass is a popular and rather unambiguous symbol. Even Windows uses the hourglass icon as a system busy indicator. This image has also become part of the tattoo culture. Therefore, we will explain the meaning of the hourglass tattoo.
Time is like sand
Speaking about what an hourglass tattoo means, there is an association with expiring time, the desire to do as much as possible in the time allotted to us by fate.
Time is the most valuable currency, because it is with it that we often pay for wrong decisions, fear of committing a serious act, changing our life. Time has to pay for excessive idleness, for meaningless fuss. No one can know how many years fate has measured out for each of us, and understanding that you need to appreciate every moment brings a person closer to happiness.
So what does an hourglass tattoo mean?
- Transience of life. Each of us, for sure, sooner or later had to remember some event from the past and catch ourselves thinking that it happened several years ago, but it seems like yesterday. At such moments, a person begins to think about how quickly his life actually flows. An hourglass tattoo on the arm, for example, can serve as a kind of reminder that a person is not eternal. Even if we believe in reincarnation, our current incarnation is still mortal, and no one can know what the next one will be. Therefore, it is worth taking full advantage of all the opportunities that this life promises us.
- The value of every moment. Each grain of sand is like one moment of our life, and these grains of sand fall at the same speed. Although it seems that happy minutes pass too quickly, and a moment of sadness lasts forever, this is not so, every moment of life is equally valuable. Minutes of sadness give us food for thought, losses allow us to draw important conclusions.
- The meaninglessness of the fuss. The designation of an hourglass tattoo often comes down to the fact that you should not waste time on things that are not really important. A person who has chosen such a tattoo periodically wonders what he spends his life on, whether he really needs this.
- Fatalism. An hourglass tattoo with a skull can speak of such a view of life. The skull in this case symbolizes death, and the clock - the continuous flow of time, inevitably leading to death. That is, a person does not see any special meaning in his existence, because the result is still the same.
An hourglass tattoo in any case speaks of the passage of time in our lives. But everyone decides for himself how exactly to take it - to appreciate every moment or give up and just go with the flow.
Plots and styles
Most often, an hourglass is depicted with a minimum number of additional decorative elements. Watch bowls can be made in the form of hearts or figure eight - they can be decorated with flowers, flames, butterflies or feathers. Sometimes you can see a photo of an hourglass tattoo along with portraits. There are images of watches with wings, which usually indicate that a person is trying to take life easy. If an owl is adjacent to an hourglass in a tattoo, this means that the owner of the work is trying to manage his time wisely. When it comes to depicting animals with watches, it is worth considering the symbolism that they carry in themselves.
Clock is one of my favorite topics. He is rebellious, defiant, bright. A tattoo made in this style speaks of expressiveness and determination. Trash polka is chosen by self-sufficient people who do not care about the opinions of others, they despise banality and social conventions. A tattoo with an hourglass made in this style indicates that a person will manage his life himself, without looking back at someone else's opinion.
