This sculpture echoes Dalí's famous 1931 painting ‘The Persistence of Memory’ in which the famous melted watch appeared for the first time. As the watch liquefies over the tree, it forms into a human profile, underlining the interminable relationship between man and time. The unexpected softness of the watch also represents the psychological aspect whereby time, whilst considered to be precise and fixed in its nature, can, in fact, vary significantly in human perception.

All humans must bend to the passing of time. We see Dalí’s profile in the face of the clock. There is a tear falling from his eye, lamenting the path of life that all men must travel.
Dalí: The Hard and the Soft, Sculptures & Objects. Eccart, 2004. pg. 238 ref. 615