Black and grey realism tattoo of an ornate pocket watch with Roman numerals, filigree scrollwork and a hanging chain on the forearm.

Enlarged with AI from a smaller original

Ornate pocket watch with chain on forearm

Realism · Forearm · Black and grey · Photo

A detailed pocket watch sits at the centre of the arm, with Roman numerals around a dotted inner ring and filigree scrollwork across the case. Smooth grey shading gives the watch face, hands and chain a three-dimensional, photographic look, with darker shadowed background shapes behind it. The image is entirely black and grey and is framed close on the arm against a dark background.

Realism Forearm Pocket watch Clock face Roman numeral Chain Scrollwork Clock hand

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A story inspired by this tattoo · fiction

The watch stopped again at ten to four, so I've left it on the potting bench under the greenhouse glass where the sun can get at it. Dad always said a watch wants winding by the same hand every morning, and I've been doing it for six weeks now without knowing whether I'm doing it right. The Roman numerals have gone a little soft from his thumb.

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The garden is behaving itself for once. The sweet peas went over in July and the runner beans are climbing the cane wigwam he built the spring before he went into hospital. Mrs Okonedo next door says the robin has taken to sitting on the spade handle, which Dad would have called cheek and then fed. I keep meaning to take the chain off its hook and hand it over, but every time I pick it up the scrollwork on the case catches the light like something that wants to be looked at, and I put it back down.

Here is the thing I should have said at the funeral. He never once told me the time from that watch. He'd squint at the dial, pretend to be surprised, and say, "Gone teatime, love," which was never accurate. I think he liked that the hands were there to be argued with.

So I'm sending it on the 9th by recorded post, with the key and the little brass fob. Wind it on the Sunday, set it by the church clock, and don't trust a word I've written about the beans. Your loving sister, Ruth.