Funny how things work out. I was in the area to go see a tattoo shop. I went into the shop I intended to go to. I was greeted by the cliche young, arrogant "tattoo shop girl", you know the one, usually they have all the piercings, the sleeve, usually have one side of their head shaved and act as if they are too important to deal w you. Yeah, that one, she basically told me come back later. Anyway, I leave. As I'm driving around the block, I stumble on Clockwork Tattoo shop and there was parking right in front. I go in, I'm greeted by a slightly tatted dude at the counter. I tell him what I need done. He says, "let me grab an artist from the back", so I sit. Two min later he comes back and says "I'm sorry, he's just finishing w a client". I sit and think to myself, "I've never been in such a professional tattoo shop". As I look around, this place is clean and decorated with art and no flash. A few framed articles and not much more, a bit odd. Not two min later a young guy comes from the back, introduces himself as Joe (turns out to be the owner), I show him some work I want to have fixed. He says "yeah, we can help you out, but I'm booked for about 2-3 months", what am I going to do at this point? I say ok and I turn back to the dude that initially greeted me and begin discussing appt dates in November. Just then the phone rings and its a cancellation for later in the week. BOOM, it's mine. I go home and begin my search online to check out their work, one piece better than the next b I go back later in the week for my appointment. Everyone at this place is amazingly down to earth and professional. I had my first session of a cover-up done and I can't wait to go back. I've been getting tattooed at least 20 years and have been to at least a dozen different shops, this place is clearly top of the charts. read more

Clockwork Tattoo - Main entrance - Tattoo Near Me - Lyndhurst, New Jersey

I have tattoos ranging from a little hot mess tattoo I got as a senior in high school to some significant water color tattoos on both of my upper arms. As such, I am no stranger to getting tattooed and rate my experience at Clockwork as fantastic. Working with Joe was a real treat, as he is a really good person and dynamite tattoo artist. To begin with, the shop is super tidy and clean. The staff is pleasant, professional and engaging. I didn't feel rushed or pandered to but I also walked into the shop with ideas in hand and was receptive to Joe's suggestions. I gave him my rough idea and he ran with it. He was enthusiastic and the entire experience was laid back and chill, it was like collaborating with a good friend who happens to be awesome at tattooing. In chatting with Joe while he was tattoo me, it was clear that he takes great pride in his profession. He has a light touch and the process, though not painless, was tolerable. I have a high pain threshold but at one point after 3 hours, my inner arm was getting alittle "zippy" which is code word for hurts like Hell. I powered through but what really left a lasting impression was that Joe apologized for the tattoo hurting and he knew it was uncomfortable. Clearly an apology was not in order as I had voluntarily paid this man good money to repeatedly jab an inky needle into the tender flesh of my inner, upper arm but it was nice to know that Joe was not completely desensitized to the discomforts of his clients. As far as the price point, I feel Clockwork's prices are very fair as Joe's work is specialized, visually stunning and top notch. If his shop were in NYC, he could command even more for his work. With a tattoo, it would not behoove you to bargain hunt as you really do get what you pay for. read more

This was my first visit here and every part of the experience was exemplary. Everyone in the front is super pleasant, and I got tattooed as a walk-in. About the tattoo: Jonathan gave me the tattoo I wanted, and nailed it. He has a light touch and works without interruption until finished. I'd recommend the shop to anyone. BTW, it's not Clockwork Tattoo any more. read more

I'll start by saying that this was not my original choice for places to permanently mark me, however, the artist that usually does my work was not returning calls and probably no longer needed my business (Casey in Wayne). Clockwork is down the street from where I live so I stopped in. To begin with, it is a very, very clean and professional establishment. It's quiet and not a lot of people just "hanging out".. however, I met Justin and immediately liked him. He was open and receptive to helping me come up with the design for my tattoo (based on my vague ideas and copy-cat photos)... In the end, he said he would work on a sketch and scheduled me two weeks out. A man of his word, he sketched a great pic based on my "wants" and tattooed me in four hours..Definitely risky on my part, having never seen his work... however, I like to live on the edge and in this case, he did not disappoint. He was friendly and flexible and patient and worked with me. Never condescending and a true professional. As for the art, the completed piece was spectacular. I don't get tattooed so often that is should know the "going rate" but, I do have 6 other tats... this place is probably a little on the higher end of cost but, in the end, I appreciated the work. read more

I've been getting tattooed by Joe Molnar off and on for the past 7 years. First time at Starlight Tattoo in Belleville (before the building burned down) and then at his own shop, Clockwork Tattoo in Lyndhurst. He is a great guy and does a terrific job. His shop is state of the art, spotlessly clean and he pays great attention to detail. Joe's specialties are dot work/polynesian style/ and geometric design, but can do pretty much anything you want. As far as pain goes, Joe has a very light touch compared to other artists I've gotten work from and I find it relatively easy to endure the hours of tattooing he's done for me. For first-timers I would recommend doing your homework. Tattoo artists typically don't charge for layout and design so you need to understand that your indecisiveness is costing your artist time and money. In my experience tattoo artists aren't hand-holders through the process and rightly expect a certain level of commitment to tattoo from their clients. It's not like getting your hair styled your legs waxed or shopping for a new pair of shoes. For my first tattoo I came in with a tribal design for my shoulder which Joe tweaked and tattooed in less than three hours. 7 years later it looks as good as it did the day he finished it. Since then Joe tattooed my left sleeve, Japanese style, a geometric patterned head and neck piece and we've just started work on my front torso As with all artists, the more trust and free rein you can give them, the better your piece will be and the more engaged your artist will be in the process. It should be a collaboration in the best sense. As an old film director once said (Robert Altman to be exact) when asked about making a great film - he replied "casting, casting, casting." In this case I would say "artist, artist, artist. Pick the right artist and you will get the right tattoo for yourself. Just try not to micromanage the process. read more

First timers beware! This shop has no time or patience for you or your concerns. The staff is rude and unwelcoming and they have a non-refundable deposit requirement that they do not make known until after you pay it. As bad as the staff is, the owner Joe is even worse - if that's possible. After being turned off by my treatment by his staff, I had second thoughts about the procedure and asked for a refund of my deposit. Joe not only refused, he then went on to belittle my design and taunt me about how he made out because he was keeping a $100 deposit and doing no work. He then proceeded to hang up the phone on me. I'm still in shock over this and can't believe a business owner would act in this manner. read more