Øreklokker

Øreklokker is a Norwegian term that translates to ear clocks. It is not a standard term in horology and does not denote a widely recognized category of timepieces. The expression may appear in discussions of fashion history, art installations, or speculative writing to describe devices or adornments that combine timekeeping concepts with ear-focused jewelry. Because most practical clocks have been designed for the wrist, pocket, or wall, there is no widely documented instrument officially known as an “ørekokke.”

In some contexts, designers and curators use the label descriptively to refer to small, clock-like mechanisms or clock motifs embedded in earrings, ear pendants, or other ear adornments, often more as ornament than as functional timepieces. In cultural discussions, Øreklokker can symbolize the merging of timekeeping with personal adornment, or be used to explore themes of punctuality, modernity, and identity in contemporary art. The term may also appear in fictional or speculative contexts, where an ear clock is imagined as a wearable device integrated into the ear.

For scholars, the concept raises questions about how time is worn, displayed, and experienced in daily life, rather than describing a discrete, universally recognized object. Further study typically focuses on the broader history of wearable clocks and clock-themed jewelry, rather than a single object known as an Øreklokke. See also wearable technology, horology, jewelry clocks.