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“ | Your time is up. | ” |
– Clockwork.[1] |
Clockwork is the Omnitrix's DNA sample of a Chronosapien[2][3] from an unknown planet.
Appearance
Clockwork is a robot-like alien with skin that is made of golden metal, with black stripes and a key on top of his head. His face has a blank expression, and he has a transparent piece of green glass-like material on his chest, revealing the gears inside of him.
In Omniverse, 16-year-old Clockwork has a larger body and holes on the key on his somewhat restructured head. There is a black stripe on his back that splits into two stripes with a keyhole between them.
11-year-old Clockwork has a thinner and rounder head, a white and black shirt, a smiley face, and a circular piece of glass-like material similar to his original appearance.
Clockwork wears the Ultimatrix/Omnitrix/original Omnitrix symbol on his chest.
Powers and Abilities
“ | Clockwork. He's got time powers. Speed up, slow down, forward, back. | ” |
– Ben 10,000 explaining Clockwork's powers to No Watch Ben.[4] |
Clockwork possesses chronokinesis, which gives him the control over time itself; Clockwork can reduce the time around him, making it look as if he is moving extremely fast to bystanders.[5] He can also completely freeze time, as demonstrated by Maltruant.[6] Furthermore, Clockwork can speed up and reverse time.[7][4] Additionally, Clockwork also possess chronopathy, which grants him a fine-tuned sense of precise time and determines the exact time an event has taken or will take place and for how long, as demonstrated by Maltruant.[6]
Clockwork has the ability to travel through time,[8][9] a technique that was used by Maltruant to recruit Subdora decades before his body was reconstructed in the present day.[DJW 1]
Clockwork can fire time rays from his hands or chest, which have various effects like sending people back in time,[9] manipulating the age of a person or object,[10][11] reversing the effects of a Chronosapien Time Bomb, sending people into a different timeline,[4] and reverting them to a previous state while also immobilizing them.[11]
Clockwork possesses a degree of enhanced strength, as he was able to throw a pipe hard enough it became embedded into a wall.[5] Clockwork also possesses enhanced durability, shown when Looma threw him at a wall at full force.[12]
Clockwork can rotate his head 360 degrees.[DJW 2] Additionally, by rotating the key on his head, he can create hologram-like projections of what happened in the past.[13][14]
Because he is a technological being, it is possible for a Galvanic Mechamorph to merge with Clockwork.[11]
Clockwork can still function if he loses some of his parts.[11]
Weaknesses

Below Average Stamina
“ | For a guy with time powers, he runs crazy slow! | ” |
– Ben 23 about Clockwork/Windy-Hindy.[11] |
Clockwork's time powers are completely useless in a place where there is no time at all, such as before the birth of a universe, as demonstrated with Maltruant.[15]
Clockwork's aging time rays are ineffective against anything diamond-related such as Petrosapiens, since they take millions or even billions of years to age.[8][9]
Clockwork can be temporarily disabled if he is exposed to a large electromagnetic pulse, such as that from a solar pulse.[7][6]
The use of Clockwork's time powers creates a Sotobro effect, which is a ripple in the timestream that can be sensed or reversed by another Chronosapien.[4]
Clockwork's bulky body makes him relatively slower than other opponents and makes him an easy target for enemy attacks, as he admits that he "is not good for dodging".[5] Similarly, because of his large body and short legs, Clockwork cannot run very fast and will tire out quickly.[3]
Unlike Maltruant, Clockwork is unable to travel through dimensions, even when he is upgraded by a Galvanic Mechamorph.[DJW 3][16]
Because he is a mechanical-based being, Clockwork can be magnetized by a Biotsavartian.[DJW 4]
Clockwork can be affected by a Nemuina's sleeping dust.[DJW 5]
History
Five Years Prior to Omniverse
Ultimate Alien
- In Ben 10,000 Returns, Clockwork was unlocked by Ben 10,000.
- Clockwork was first used by Ben off-screen prior to Inspector #13.[GT 1]
- In Inspector #13, Gwen turned into Clockwork during a car ride to the Techadon Factory.
- In Catch a Falling Star, Clockwork disarmed Captain Nemesis, but was caught off guard and defeated by Jennifer Nocturne.
- In The Eggman Cometh, Clockwork found out what happened in Natalie's kitchen and realized Dr. Animo was up to no good again.
- In The Beginning of the End, Clockwork found out where the Flame Keepers' Circle had gone.
Omniverse
- In A Jolt From the Past, Clockwork chased some Megawhatts to Fistrick's lair until he grew too tired.
- In Many Happy Returns, Clockwork was defeated by Princess Looma.
- In Ben Again, 11-year-old Ben as 16-year-old Clockwork helped fix the time stream and defeat Eon.
- In Bengeance is Mine, Clockwork defeated a Squid Monster by slowing down time.
- In And Then There Was Ben, No Watch Ben as Clockwork learned about his abilities from Ben 10,000. Later, No Watch Ben as Clockwork reversed the effects of the Chronosapien Time Bomb and sent Negative Ultimate Echo Echo, Mad Ben, Bad Buzzshock, Benzarro's Frankenstrike, Nega Ben, and Eon back to their respective timelines.
- In It's a Mad, Mad, Mad Ben World: Part 1, Clockwork defeated Mad Diamondhead before having his powers enhanced by Techno-Bubble. He then defeated Exo-Skull and Subdora but was defeated himself by Maltruant.
- In It's a Mad, Mad, Mad Ben World: Part 2, Clockwork fused with Techno-Bubble again in a failed attempt to leave Mad Ben's home dimension and return to their respective timelines.
- In A New Dawn, Clockwork appeared for a short time as Ben was cycling through his aliens.
Ultimate Alien Future
- In Ben 10,000 Returns, Ultimate Ben used his time rays to send Eon into the past. Later, Ultimate Ben used Clockwork's time rays again in a failed attempt to destroy the Hands of Armageddon with the help of present-day Ben as Way Big.
Appearances
- Ultimate Ben
- Season 3
- Ben 10,000 Returns (x2)
- Gwen
- Season 3
- Inspector #13 (first appearance)
- Ben
- Season 3
- Catch a Falling Star (first appearance by Ben)
- The Eggman Cometh
- The Beginning of the End
- 16-year-old Ben
- Season 1
- A Jolt From the Past (first reappearance; intended alien was XLR8)
- Season 2
- Many Happy Returns (intended alien was Cannonbolt)
- Season 3
- Ben Again (11-year-old Ben in 16-year-old Ben's body)
- Season 5
- Season 7
- Season 8
- A New Dawn (cameo)
- 11-year-old Ben
- Season 3
- Ben Again (used by 16-year-old Ben in 11-year-old Ben's body)
- No Watch Ben
- Season 5
Naming and Translations
Language | Name | Origin |
---|---|---|
Bulgarian | Времебоец | From време/vreme, time and боец/boets, warrior |
Chinese | 时钟王 | From 时钟 (Shí Zhōng), clock and 王 (Wáng), king |
Croatian | Vremenski | From vrijeme, time, the time one |
Dutch | Uurwerk | From uurwerk, clockwork |
French | Temposaure | From temps, time and -saure, -saur |
German | Uhrwerk | From uhrwerk, clockwork |
Hebrew | המכני | From המכני, mechanical |
Hungarian | Időgép | From időgép, time machine |
Italian | Raggiotempo | From raggio, ray and tempo, time |
Polish | Mechaniczny Zegar |
From mechaniczny, mechanical From zegar, clock |
Portuguese (Br) | Ampulheta Contra Tempo |
From ampulheta, hourglass From contra tempo, contretemps |
Romanian | Ceasornicul | From ceasornic, clock |
Russian | Машина Времени Часы Часовой Механизм |
From машина времени, time machine From часы, clock From часовой механизм, clockwork |
Spanish (HA) | Clockwork | From the original English name |
Spanish (Spain) | Crono | Crono from cronológico, chronological |
Turkish | Klokvork | From the original English name |
Etymology
The term "clockwork" refers to a mechanism with a spring and toothed gearwheels, used to drive a mechanical clock and other types of devices; this refers to Clockwork being a mechanical alien with gears and time-based powers.
Trivia

The Haywire Clockwork toy
- Clockwork's appearance when he is fused with Techno-Bubble bears a strong resemblance to the Haywire Clockwork action figure, which has Eatle's Ultimate Alien color scheme.
- Clockwork makes gear sounds when he moves, which is similar to Armodrillo when he moves his arms.
- In Omniverse, Clockwork ticks like a clock for the entirety of his transformation sequence, and there is a sound similar to the tolling of Big Ben that sometimes appears at the end.
- The tolling clock sound also occurs when Clockwork's time rays strike their target or when he is struck on his head key.
- Clockwork speaks with a thick German accent because Germany is known for inventing the watch, a portable timepiece that could tell time no matter wherever someone was in the world. Whenever Clockwork speaks in Omniverse, the reverb in his voice would make a cuckoo clock sound.
- Clockwork's Ultimate Alien design, as well as 11-year-old Clockwork's design in Omniverse, were created by Steven Choi.[TJC 1][DJW 6]
- Clockwork is the only alien used by 11-year-old Ben whose Omnitrix symbol has a gold rim, rather than a silver one like his other aliens.
- Unlike Buzzshock, Spitter, and Arctiguana, Clockwork was first revealed by a different Ben 10,000 from the one featured in the Original Series.
- Regardless, the latter three of these aliens would later be unlocked by present-day Ben.
- Of these, Clockwork was the only one who was used by present-day Ben in the same series he was initially revealed in.
- Derrick J. Wyatt thought that 11-year-old Ben kept Clockwork after the events of Ben Again, but Matt Youngberg always said he did not.[DJW 7]
- Concept art of 12-year old Kevin's mutated form featured Clockwork's key on the sides of his head. However, this was removed in the final version.[ca 1][ca 2]
- There were no plans to feature Clockwork in the reboot, a fact that upsets Duncan Rouleau.[DR 1]
References
- ↑ Catch a Falling Star
- ↑ Rook Blonko
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 A Jolt From the Past
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 And Then There Was Ben
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Bengeance is Mine
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 The End of an Era
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Ben 10,000
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Ultimate Alien Ben 10,000
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Ben 10,000 Returns
- ↑ Catch a Falling Star
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 It's a Mad, Mad, Mad Ben World: Part 1
- ↑ Many Happy Returns
- ↑ The Eggman Cometh
- ↑ The Beginning of the End
- ↑ A New Dawn
- ↑ It's a Mad, Mad, Mad Ben World: Part 2
Production Material
Concept Art
Crew Statements
Geoffrey Thorne
Derrick J. Wyatt
- ↑ File:Subdora Backstory.png
- ↑ File:Clockwork Can Rotate His Head.png
- ↑ File:Clockwork Cannot Travel Through Dimensions.png
- ↑ File:Chronosapiens Can Be Magnetized.PNG
- ↑ File:Pesky Dust Works On Chronosapiens and Ectonurites.png
- ↑ File:Steven choi designed 11yo Clockwork.png
- ↑ File:Young Ben Did Not Keep Clockwork.png