Pocket watches carry a charming heir of antiquity in their appearance. First introduced in the 17th century they quickly became popular with the upper class and subsequently became popular with the other classes once technology improved that made the pieces more affordable. For almost three centuries the pocket watch was the standard for portable timekeeping until the advent of WWI. The military realized a pocket watch was impractical in battle and issued soldiers a pocket watch/wrist watch hybrid known as the trench watch instead. Shortly after WWI the wrist watch surpassed the pocket watch in popularity and the pocket watch became a beautiful but obsolete reminder of the world as it used to be.
Pocket Watch and Rose
A pocket watch surrounded by three roses is depicted on the wearer’s forearm in this black and gray tattoo.
Hyper Stylized Rose and Pocket Watch
A pair of roses accent a pocket watch in this tattoo that is colored in a style reminiscent of oil paintings.
Black and Gray Rose and Pocket Watch
This realistic tattoo uses black, gray, and white ink to depict a reflective pocket watch and a rose with two water droplets on its petal.
Pocket Watch and Eye
An eye is rendered on the face of the pocket watch while a map is shown on the inside of the locket and the chain spells out the word “Hypnotyzed.”
Broken Face Pocket Watch
The face of the pocket watch is broken and exposes the gears underneath in this black and gray tattoo rendered on the wearer’s arm.
Broken Pocket Watch
A pocket watch is depicted with gears too big for the body and is surrounded by roman numerals in addition to  pair of birds.
Rose and Skeleton Pocket Watch
A skeleton pocket watch sits underneath a large rose in this black and gray tattoo rendered on the wearer’s upper arm.
“Casey” Pocket Watch
A pocket watch with “Casey” written on the face is rendered in black and gray ink.
Pocket Watch and Rose Over Black Background
A pocket watch and rose are depicted over a black background in this black and gray tattoo located on the wearer’s forearm.
Stylized Pocket Watch and Roses
A stylized pocket watch is accompanied by a pair of roses over a dark background in this black and gray tattoo located on the wearer’s arm.
Watercolor Pocket Watch
A black and gray pocket watch is depicted over a smear of various watercolors in this tattoo located on the wearer’s upper arm.
Simplified Pocket Watch and Rose
A simplified depiction of a rose and pocket watch are rendered in black and gray ink on the wearer’s forearm.
Watercolor Splatter Pocket Watch
This beautiful abstract piece depicts a black pocket watch over a smear of watercolors and watercolor blots.
Owl Pocket Watch and Roses
An owl with a clock on its chest is accented by a trio of roses in this tattoo utilizing a predominantly red color palette.
Heart Shaped Pocket Watch and Pink Roses
Two pink roses accent a heart-shaped black and gray pocket watch in this forearm tattoo.
All Seeing Eye Pocket Watch
A triangle containing the “All seeing eye,” is depicted on the face of the pocket watch in this black and gray tattoo.
Semi-Open Face Pocket Watch and Quote
A semi-opened face pocket watch is depicted over a background of gears and roman numerals in this black and gray forearm tattoo.
Traditional Style Pocket Watch
This traditionally styled tattoo shows a gold pocket watch with elaborate designs around the face between two purple flowers over a blue background.
Owl, Flowers, and Pocket Watch Over a Cosmic Landscape
An owl resting it’s foot on a pocket watch is surrounded by pink flowers while the moon and stars gleam in the background of this colorful tattoo.
Stylized Black and Gray Pocket Watch with Roses
A pocket watch is accompanied by two unopened and one open rose in this black and gray thigh tattoo.
Pocket Watch and Guitar Head
A guitar head is depicted smashing through the face of a pocket watch in this black and gray tattoo.
Alice in Wonderland Pocket Watches
This Alice in Wonderland inspired tattoo portrays a pocket watch wearing a top hat and a white rabbit holding a pocket watch.
Broken Pocket Watch
A broken pocket watch is depicted over a swirling grey background in this chest tattoo.
Traditional Style Black and Gray Pocket Watch
A trio of roses surround an ornate pocket watch in this black and gray leg tattoo.
Pocket Watch over Sheet Music Bars
This black and gray tattoo, located on the wearer’s ankle, portrays a shiny pocket watch over musical bars.
Pocket Watch and Triangular Desert Landscape
This tattoo utilizes heavy line work to depict a pocket watch underneath a triangular vignette of a desert landscape.
Broken Pocket Watch and Chain
A pocket watch with a broken face and chain is depicted on the wearer’s forearm.
Skeleton Pocket Watch
A black skeleton watch with gold mechanisms is depicted on the wearer’s forearm.
Blue and Gray Pocket Watch with Quote
A black and gray pocket watch with blue embellishments is accompanied by the quote, “Det Loser Sig,” translating to, “It dissolves,” on the wearer’s forearm.
Pocket Watch and Butterfly
A pocket watch attached to a skeleton key is accented by a butterfly and a swirling design in this black and gray chest tattoo.
Skeleton Pocket Watch with Embellishment
This black and gray tattoo, located on the wearer’s forearm, shows a swirling design wrapping around a pocket watch.
Birds and Pocket Watch
A pocket watch and two birds are depicted with the word, “Always,” in this black and gray tattoo.
Hand Holding Skeleton Pocket Watch
This excessively dark tattoo renders a hand holding a skeleton watch on the wearer’s torso.
Pocket Watch with Banner
A pocket watch is embellished with two flowers and a banner reading, “Time Heals.” in this black and gray torso tattoo.
Hyper Realistic Pocket Watch Mechanism
This remarkably well done piece depicts a black and gray pocket watch with hyper-realistic mechanisms.
Wolf, Pocket Watch, and Roses
This traditional style tattoo, located on the wearer’s arm, depicts a wolf above a pocket watch and two roses.
Pocket Watch with Calendar
A simple but well done pocket watch is rendered in black and gray ink on the wearer’s forearm.
“Lew” Pocket Watch
A black and gray pocket watch with the name, “Lew,” scrawled across the face is depicted on the wearer’s forearm.
Pocket Watch and Roses with Banner
A pocket watch with an anchor on the face is accented by two roses and banner reading, “Patience.”
“Kennedy” Skeleton Pocket Watch
This beautiful black and gray piece pictures an engraved, skeleton pocket watch accompanied by two roses and a banner reading, “Kennedy.”
Pocket Watch and Rose
This excessively dark black and gray tattoo pictures a hyper-realistic pocket watch and rose on the wearer’s upper arm.
Pocket Watch Collage
This black and gray tattoo, located on the wearer’s chest, depicts a skeleton pocket watch, roses, birds, and a banner reading, “Time waits for no man.”
Black and Gold Pocket Watch
A black and gold skeleton pocket watch is depicted on the wearer’s forearm.
Hyper-Realistic Pocket Watch and Roses
A pocket watch and roses are depicted over a background of sheet music folded into the shape of a rose.
Owl Wearing a Pocket Watch Necklace
An owl with yellow and orange eyes is depicted wearing a pocket watch chain around its neck in this black and gray forearm tattoo.
Colorful Owl and Pocket Watch
This vibrant piece uses a myriad of colors to accent an owl perched on a gold pocket watch.
Owl, Pocket Watch, and Ribbon
An owl is illustrated perched atop a pocket watch embellished with a blue bow in this back tattoo.
Black and Gray Pocket Watch with Roses
A pocket watch is portrayed between two roses in this black and gray forearm tattoo.
Pink Roses and Gold Pocket Watch
A gold pocket watch is rendered in front of a pink rose in this colorful foot tattoo.
Stylized Black and Gray Pocket Watch
An exceptionally shiny pocket watch is rendered in black and gray ink.
Pocket Watch with Shattered Glass
A black and gray pocket watch is portrayed with shattered glass.
Pocket Watch and “I Love You” Banner
A black and gray pocket watch is accompanied by a banner reading, “I Love you.”
Pocket Watch with Face Design
A black and gray pocket watch is depicted with a rope instead of a chain and a design on its face.
Simplified Pocket Watch and Flowers
A simplified broken pocket watch is rendered with two flowers on the wearer’s foot.
Hourglass, Pocket Watch, and Skull
A pocket watch sits next to a skull and behind an hourglass and two roses.
Pocket Watch and Flowers
This black and gray tattoo pictures a pocket watch between two roses on the wearer’s thigh.
“Berlin” Pocket Watch
A shiny, engraved pocket watch with the word, “Berlin,” on the face is rendered in this tattoo.
Hourglass and Pocket Watch
A pocket watch with a heart on its face is accompanied by an hourglass filled with colored sand and a flower with a yellow bud.
Black and Gray Pocket Watch
A black and gray pocket watch is illustrated on the wearer’s wrist.
Skeleton Pocket Watch
A beautifully done black and gray skeleton pocket watch is depicted on the wearer’s forearm.
Pocket Watch, Quote, and Roses
A gold pocket watch sits between two red roses and is accented by a banner reading, “Love knows not what time is.”
Black and Gray Pocket Watch
A black and gray pocket watch is rendered on the wearer’s upper arm.
Skeleton Watch with Trio of Roses
This incredible piece features a hyper-realistic skeleton pocket watch and three white roses accented with water droplets.
Rose and Pocket Watch
This stylish black and gray piece pictures a rose and a pocket on the wearer’s upper arm.
Colorful Quote and Pocket Watch
This vibrant piece uses traditional styling to depict a gold pocket watch, roses, and a quote reading, “In time, this too shall pass.”
Pair of Pocket Watches and Embellishments
Shaky line work creates a pair of black and gray pocket watches. A heart is featured on one watch face with a diamond hanging from its chain while the other watch sports a flower hanging from its chain.
Pocket Watches, Flower, and Quote
A yellow flower sits between two black and gray pocket watches while the quote, “In these moments time stood still,” sits to the right of the images.
Pair of Roses with Pocket Watch
Two red roses and one orange rose surround an engraved, black and gray pocket watch in this piece featured on the wearer’s upper thigh.
Pocket watch and Three Roses
This gorgeous piece features a pocket watch surrounded by three roses. The reflections on the glass of the pocket watch do a phenomenal job of adding depth to the piece.
Skeleton Pocket Watch and Rose
The color distribution of this piece makes the images of a pocket watch and roses a bit muddled.
Quote, Pocket Watch, and Rose
A quote sits between two roses in this back piece.
Rose, Pocket Watch, and Banner
A pocket watch is wrapped in a banner reading, “Never give up, never back down,” and is accented by a rose in this black and gray piece.
Pink Roses and Pocket Watch
Pink roses and a film roll descend down the wearer’s arm leading to a black and gray pocket watch.
Skull and Pocket Watch
A blue background accents this black and gray piece featuring a skull and a pocket watch.
Skeleton Pocket watch and Skeleton Key
A skeleton watch and skeleton key are surrounded by a swirling design.
Broken Pocket Watch
A broken pocket watch spills gears and roman numerals onto the wearer’s arm in this tattoo.
Realistic Pocket Watch
This life-like piece features a gold skeleton pocket watch, two flowers, and a bottle on the wearer’s forearm.
Rose, Key, and Pocket Watch
A pocket watch and rose are featured in this traditionally styled thigh piece.
Pocket Watch and HourglassÂ
This black and gray piece, featured on the wearer’s forearm, pictures an hourglass and a pocket watch.
Gold Pocket Watch
A traditionally styled gold pocket watch is the centerpiece of this forearm tattoo.
Pocket Watch and Design
 A red slash serves as the background of this piece featuring a repeating leaf pattern and a black and gray pocket watch.
Compass and Pair of Flowers
A compass is accompanied by a pair of flowers in this black and gray piece.
Gold Pocket Watch and Rose
Traditional styling is used to depict a gold pocket watch and red rose on the wearer’s upper arm.
Pair of Roses and Pocket Watch
Black and gray ink composes a pocket watch sitting between two roses in this piece.
Skeleton Pocket Watch and Rose
A skeleton pocket watch sits above a rose in this black and gray piece.
Black and Gray Pocket Watch
A mediocre example of a black and gray pocket watch.
