Obviously, if the preference for clockwise rotation came before clocks, it wouldn't be called clockwise but I'm curious if clocks inherited this tendency or if the standardization of clocks created this preference for clockwise rotation. If the latter, might there be early examples of clocks that counted in the opposite direction?
I remember reading an old answer by /u/itsallfolklore about how turning right was considered "positive" and turning left was "negative," which seems relevant, but I'm not sure exactly how relevant.
Follow-up question: Did sundials influence later mechanical clocks?
might there be early examples of clocks that counted in the opposite direction?
Yes. The astronomical clock in the Münster Cathedral was built in the 1540s and runs counter-clockwise.
You find the clock at the website of the cathedral. Unfortunately it's German only, but you may try to translate it with Google translate.