[Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini, Mini Pro, Xperia Pro, A] Ticklefish:
So I'd assume this is your code:

...
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.Clock android:id="@id/clock" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:gravity="center_horizontal|center" android:textAppearance="@style/TextAppearance.StatusBar.Clock" android:singleLine="true" />
<LinearLayout android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/icons" android:paddingLeft="6.0dip" android:paddingRight="6.0dip" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent">
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.phone.CarrierLabel android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:textAppearance="@style/TextAppearance.StatusBar.Clock" android:gravity="left|center" android:layout_gravity="bottom" />
<LinearLayout android:orientation="horizontal" android:layout_width="0.0dip" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_weight="1.0">
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.StatusBarIconView android:id="@id/moreIcon" android:layout_width="@dimen/status_bar_icon_size" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:visibility="gone" android:src="@drawable/stat_notify_more" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.phone.IconMerger android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/notificationIcons" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:gravity="center_vertical" android:layout_alignParentLeft="true" />
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/statusIcons" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:gravity="center_vertical" />
<ImageView android:id="@id/stat_no_sim" android:paddingLeft="4.0dip" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:visibility="gone" android:layout_gravity="center_vertical" />
<LinearLayout android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/signal_battery_cluster" android:paddingLeft="2.0dip" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:gravity="center">
<include android:id="@id/signal_cluster" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" layout="@layout/signal_cluster_view" />
<ImageView android:id="@id/battery" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:paddingLeft="2.0dip" />
</LinearLayout>
</LinearLayout>
...

LinearLayouts go in order; the first item is displayed first, the second item is displayed second and so on and so on.

So here our first LinearLayout is making the statusbar show, in order:

the carrier label,

another LinearLayout showing the more notifications icon and the notifications icon,

the status icons (bluetooth, GPS, etc),

the no sim icon,

another LinearLayout showing the signal icons and the battery icon.

The statusbar then looks like this: 1, 2, centered clock, 3, 4, 5.

We need it to look like: 5, 4, 3, centered clock, 2, 1.

So we need to change the code to:

...
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.Clock android:id="@id/clock" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:gravity="center_horizontal|center" android:textAppearance="@style/TextAppearance.StatusBar.Clock" android:singleLine="true" />
<LinearLayout android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/icons" android:paddingLeft="6.0dip" android:paddingRight="6.0dip" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent">
<LinearLayout android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/signal_battery_cluster" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:gravity="center">
<ImageView android:id="@id/battery" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content"/>
<include android:id="@id/signal_cluster" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" layout="@layout/signal_cluster_view" android:paddingLeft="2.0dip" />
</LinearLayout>
<ImageView android:id="@id/stat_no_sim" android:paddingRight="4.0dip" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:visibility="gone" android:layout_gravity="center_vertical" />
<LinearLayout android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/statusIcons" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:gravity="center_vertical" />
<LinearLayout android:orientation="horizontal" android:layout_width="0.0dip" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_weight="1.0">
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.phone.IconMerger android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/notificationIcons" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:gravity="center_vertical" android:layout_alignParentRight="true" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.StatusBarIconView android:id="@id/moreIcon" android:layout_width="@dimen/status_bar_icon_size" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:visibility="gone" android:src="@drawable/stat_notify_more" />
</LinearLayout>
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.phone.CarrierLabel android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:textAppearance="@style/TextAppearance.StatusBar.Clock" android:gravity="center" android:layout_gravity="bottom" />
</LinearLayout>
...

Compare the two sets of code and you can see what I've done. I've had to change some android:padding and one android:layout_alignParent parameter but otherwise it's just a simple cut and paste job.

Easy when you know how.

In fact, this sort of thing is a lot simpler then it looks. You don't need to know what all the individual bits of code mean, although it helps, just think about what each line is probably doing and take it from there.

Hell, even I don't know what all this does!

I did say in our exchange of PM's yesterday that this might happen. If you have lots of icons, notifications and/or status icons, they can overlap the clock. Because the clock isn't part of that LinearLayout, there's nothing to stop them.

Have a look at Method 2 in the OP. It's a bit more complicated but you should have a better understanding of how this all works by now so you should be fine.

One thing to always bear in mind: it's technically possible to put your carrier label, date, clock, notification icons, status icons, signal icons and battery icons on the status bar and have it all fit...but it'd look bloody terrible. Have a think about what works for you.