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What does a clock tattoo mean?

The image of the clock, in addition to its artistic value, almost always has a symbolic character because of the stable associations with which the meaning of the tattoo of a clock is directly related.

Today we will look at interesting compositions and styles of such tattoos and their interpretations.

Clock as a symbol

It is difficult to imagine the life of a modern person without a watch. They help us manage our time and plan our affairs. But at the same time, the watch is a constant reminder of the irretrievably passing time, the transience of life.

Time is a mysterious substance over which a person has no power, but time has power over a person. Some say that it is merciless, while others, on the contrary, believe that it is capable of healing mental wounds. Sometimes time works for us, and sometimes we are upset that it does not wait.

It is not for nothing that in the mythology of almost any people one can find a deity that controls time: the Greek Chronos, the Roman Saturn, the Egyptian Nehebkau.

The wise people of Babylon, who created the sundial, realized the need to measure time even in ancient times, and later the Greeks took over the baton, inventing the clepsydra, on the basis of which Plato constructed the first alarm clock.

Evidence for the first mechanical watches dating from around the XNUMXth century AD e., can be found among Byzantine historians. The clock was used not only in everyday life, they helped the commanders plan sudden attacks from different directions, scheduled for the same time, became an integral attribute of religious actions (for example, many Christian prayers are read at a strictly defined time).

Everyone has probably heard more than one saying or catch phrase associated with time: about business people we say that time is money for them, but about lazy people that they kill time. This is another proof of how much the hours and the minutes and seconds they measure are symbolic for a modern person.

Interpretation of the symbol

The meaning of a clock tattoo can be viewed both in a positive and a negative light, but no matter from which side we approach the interpretation of this symbol, time always plays the main role.

  • The transience of life... An hourglass tattoo means that its owner often indulges in reflections on the transience of time, thinks that every minute his life is getting shorter, wonders if he is spending the years allotted to him correctly.
  • The value of time... An hourglass tattoo means that its owner realizes the value of every moment of his life. Each grain of sand is like a day of a human life, as soon as it falls into the lower bowl, it is no longer possible to return it back. Such an image indicates a philosophical attitude towards life, a person sees meaning not only in joyful minutes, but also in moments of sadness, because everything that happens to us ultimately gives us an invaluable experience.
  • Pointless vanity... A watch tattoo on a hand means that its owner is periodically visited by thoughts, whether he is spending his time right, what he is wasting his life on. Although this mechanism greatly facilitates it, introduces regularity into it, allows planning, nevertheless, the tireless movement of the arrows makes us fuss, worry that time may not be enough for something important.
  • Fatalism... The meaning of an hourglass tattoo is often reduced to a belief in predestination, in the fact that much less depends on a person than, for example, on a predetermined fate, karma. Just as a person cannot change the course of time, he has no control over his own life either completely or in part.
  • Near death... This designation of the hourglass tattoo comes from the previous one. Time is inexorable, every day a person becomes one step closer to death, and nothing can be done about it. This meaning becomes especially clear when other symbols of death are present in the composition, for example, an hourglass with a skull.
  • Action... The hands of the clock are in continuous movement, forcing us to hurry up, to make efforts to be in time for everything we have planned. Therefore, a clock tattoo means that its owner himself never sits still, is in constant motion in order to achieve his goals.

Choosing a style and composition

There are many options for the plot of a tattoo in the form of a clock, each detail will add new colors to the composition, will have its own semantic load. For example, a raven with a clock will talk about fatalism, belief in the predetermination of fate, reflections on the frailty of life. This is one of the most popular combinations in trash polka... A rebellious, gloomy, sharp, even defiant style is what you need for a bright and catchy tattoo.

For girls, a tattoo in watercolor can be a great option. Such tattoos are suitable for romantic dreamers. The watercolors look bright, but at the same time gentle and casual. Smooth transitions of shades, lack of clear contours, washed out paints, splashes and drips will help to create a truly original drawing.

Realistic images of hourglass or pocket watches look gorgeous regardless of the palette. It all depends on what emotions the work should convey. For example, a bright drawing with a clock surrounded by scarlet roses and fluttering butterflies seems to indicate that happy hours are not observed, and monochrome compositions with skulls will evoke thoughts of doom. Realistic gloomy black-and-white city landscapes with a clock tower look interesting.

Look cool work in the style of new school... Bright colors, clear wide contours and the most incredible color combinations make each drawing original, endow it with its own emotional and semantic load. For example, an owl with a clock in this style will indicate a person who is able to wisely manage his time without wasting precious minutes.

As for the choice of a place for a tattoo, it is worth considering the peculiarities of the pattern. For example, an hourglass on a leg or arm will look harmonious due to the oblong shape of the central element of the composition, and a round pocket watch looks best on the shoulder, hip, shoulder blade or chest.

Photo of a clock tattoo on a body

Photo of clock tattoo on hand

Photo of a tattoo of a clock on a leg