[Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini, Mini Pro, Xperia Pro, A] Ticklefish:
Here's your original code:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.phone.PhoneStatusBarView android:orientation="vertical" android:id="@id/status_bar" android:background="@drawable/system_bar_background" android:focusable="true" android:fitsSystemWindows="true" android:descendantFocusability="afterDescendants"
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:systemui="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/com.android.systemui">
<FrameLayout android:id="@id/call_background" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" />
<ImageView android:id="@id/notification_lights_out" android:paddingBottom="2.0dip" android:visibility="gone" android:layout_width="@dimen/status_bar_icon_size" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_lights_out_dot_small" android:scaleType="center" android:paddingStart="6.0dip" />
<LinearLayout android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/status_bar_contents" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:paddingStart="6.0dip" android:paddingEnd="6.0dip">
<LinearLayout android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/notification_icon_area" android:layout_width="0.0dip" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_weight="1.0">
<TextView android:textSize="15.0dip" android:textColor="#ffffffff" android:gravity="center_vertical" android:id="@id/carrierLabel" android:visibility="gone" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:singleLine="true" />
<ImageView android:id="@id/operatorLogoIcon" android:visibility="gone" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/tw_stat_notify_operator_logo" />
<ImageView android:id="@id/operatorLogoIcon_org" android:visibility="gone" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/tw_stat_notify_operator_logo_org" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.StatusBarIconView android:id="@id/moreIcon" android:visibility="gone" android:layout_width="@dimen/status_bar_icon_size" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/stat_notify_more" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.phone.IconMerger android:gravity="center_vertical" android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/notificationIcons" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_alignParentStart="true" />
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/system_icon_area" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent">
<LinearLayout android:gravity="center_vertical" android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/statusIcons" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent" />
<LinearLayout android:gravity="center" android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/signal_battery_cluster" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:paddingStart="2.0dip">
<include android:id="@id/signal_cluster" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:layout_marginRight="@dimen/rssi_battery_gap" layout="@layout/signal_cluster_view" />
<TextView android:textSize="@dimen/status_bar_battery_text_size" android:textColor="#ffffffff" android:layout_gravity="center" android:id="@id/battery_text" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:text="@string/status_bar_network_name_separator" android:importantForAccessibility="no" android:fontFamily="sans-serif" android:layout_marginStart="@dimen/status_bar_battery_text_marginStart" />
<com.android.systemui.BatteryMeterView android:id="@id/battery" android:layout_width="@dimen/battery_icon_width" android:layout_height="@dimen/battery_icon_height" android:layout_marginBottom="@dimen/battery_icon_bottom_margin" android:layout_marginStart="3.0dip" />
</LinearLayout>
<FrameLayout android:gravity="center" android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/clock" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_centerInParent="true">
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.Clock android:textAppearance="@style/TextAppearance.StatusBar.Clock" android:ellipsize="none" android:gravity="start|center" android:id="@id/clock" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:singleLine="true" android:includeFontPadding="false" android:paddingStart="6.0dip" systemui:ampmSmall="false" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.KeyButtonView android:id="@id/back" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@null" android:contentDescription="@string/accessibility_back" systemui:keyCode="26" />
</FrameLayout>
</LinearLayout>
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/ticker" android:animationCache="false" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:paddingStart="6.0dip">
<ImageSwitcher android:id="@id/tickerIcon" android:layout_width="@dimen/status_bar_icon_size" android:layout_height="@dimen/status_bar_icon_size" android:layout_marginEnd="4.0dip">
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.AnimatedImageView android:layout_width="@dimen/status_bar_icon_size" android:layout_height="@dimen/status_bar_icon_size" android:scaleType="centerInside" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.AnimatedImageView android:layout_width="@dimen/status_bar_icon_size" android:layout_height="@dimen/status_bar_icon_size" android:scaleType="centerInside" />
</ImageSwitcher>
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.phone.TickerView android:layout_gravity="center_vertical" android:id="@id/tickerText" android:layout_width="0.0dip" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:layout_weight="1.0" android:paddingEnd="10.0dip">
<TextView android:textAppearance="@style/TextAppearance.StatusBar.PhoneTicker" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:singleLine="true" android:includeFontPadding="false" />
<TextView android:textAppearance="@style/TextAppearance.StatusBar.PhoneTicker" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:singleLine="true" android:includeFontPadding="false" />
</com.android.systemui.statusbar.phone.TickerView>
</LinearLayout>
</com.android.systemui.statusbar.phone.PhoneStatusBarView>

This is pretty cool setup for a statusbar because it neatly divides the bar into two areas. Everything that's on the left of the statusbar is in the @id/notification_icon_area LinearLayout. Everything that's on the right is in the @id/system_icon_area LinearLayout.

So to center the clock, all we need to do is put the clock line between those two Layouts. Right?

Sadly, no.

This xml is nearly the same idea as the Best Method..but not quite. If you put the clock line between the two Layouts, all that'll happen is the clock will now be on the left of the @id/statusIcons and everything will still be pushed to the far right of the statusbar by the notification icons.

This is exactly what happens with your modded xml:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.phone.PhoneStatusBarView android:orientation="vertical" android:id="@id/status_bar" android:background="@drawable/system_bar_background" android:focusable="true" android:fitsSystemWindows="true" android:descendantFocusability="afterDescendants"
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:systemui="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/com.android.systemui">
<FrameLayout android:id="@id/call_background" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" />
<ImageView android:id="@id/notification_lights_out" android:paddingBottom="2.0dip" android:visibility="gone" android:layout_width="@dimen/status_bar_icon_size" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_lights_out_dot_small" android:scaleType="center" android:paddingStart="6.0dip" />
<LinearLayout android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/status_bar_contents" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:paddingStart="6.0dip" android:paddingEnd="6.0dip">
<LinearLayout android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/notification_icon_area" android:layout_width="0.0dip" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_weight="1.0">
<TextView android:textSize="15.0dip" android:textColor="#ffffffff" android:gravity="center_vertical" android:id="@id/carrierLabel" android:visibility="gone" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:singleLine="true" />
<ImageView android:id="@id/operatorLogoIcon" android:visibility="gone" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/tw_stat_notify_operator_logo" />
<ImageView android:id="@id/operatorLogoIcon_org" android:visibility="gone" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/tw_stat_notify_operator_logo_org" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.StatusBarIconView android:id="@id/moreIcon" android:visibility="gone" android:layout_width="@dimen/status_bar_icon_size" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/stat_notify_more" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.phone.IconMerger android:gravity="center_vertical" android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/notificationIcons" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_alignParentStart="true" />
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout android:gravity="center" android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/clock" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:alpha="0.8">
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.Clock android:textAppearance="@style/TextAppearance.StatusBar.Clock" android:ellipsize="none" android:gravity="center" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:singleLine="true" android:includeFontPadding="false" android:paddingStart="0.0dip" systemui:ampmSmall="false" />
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/system_icon_area" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent">
<LinearLayout android:gravity="center_vertical" android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/statusIcons" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent" />
<LinearLayout android:gravity="center" android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/signal_battery_cluster" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:paddingStart="2.0dip">
<include android:id="@id/signal_cluster" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:layout_marginRight="@dimen/rssi_battery_gap" layout="@layout/signal_cluster_view" />
<TextView android:textSize="@dimen/status_bar_battery_text_size" android:textColor="#ffffffff" android:layout_gravity="center" android:id="@id/battery_text" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:text="@string/status_bar_network_name_separator" android:importantForAccessibility="no" android:fontFamily="sans-serif" android:layout_marginStart="@dimen/status_bar_battery_text_marginStart" />
<com.android.systemui.BatteryMeterView android:id="@id/battery" android:layout_width="@dimen/battery_icon_width" android:layout_height="@dimen/battery_icon_height" android:layout_marginBottom="@dimen/battery_icon_bottom_margin" android:layout_marginStart="2.0dip" />
</LinearLayout>
</LinearLayout>
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/ticker" android:animationCache="false" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:paddingStart="0.0dip">
<ImageSwitcher android:id="@id/tickerIcon" android:layout_width="@dimen/status_bar_icon_size" android:layout_height="@dimen/status_bar_icon_size" android:layout_marginEnd="4.0dip">
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.AnimatedImageView android:layout_width="@dimen/status_bar_icon_size" android:layout_height="@dimen/status_bar_icon_size" android:scaleType="centerInside" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.AnimatedImageView android:layout_width="@dimen/status_bar_icon_size" android:layout_height="@dimen/status_bar_icon_size" android:scaleType="centerInside" />
</ImageSwitcher>
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.phone.TickerView android:layout_gravity="center_vertical" android:id="@id/tickerText" android:layout_width="0.0dip" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:layout_weight="1.0" android:paddingEnd="10.0dip">
<TextView android:textAppearance="@style/TextAppearance.StatusBar.PhoneTicker" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:singleLine="true" android:includeFontPadding="false" />
<TextView android:textAppearance="@style/TextAppearance.StatusBar.PhoneTicker" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:singleLine="true" android:includeFontPadding="false" />
</com.android.systemui.statusbar.phone.TickerView>
</LinearLayout>
</com.android.systemui.statusbar.phone.PhoneStatusBarView>

You're nearly there, we just need to tweak things. We need to ensure that the @id/system_icon_area Layout is on the right side of the statusbar and that there is exactly the same amount of space either side of the clock.

To do that, we'll put the @id/system_icon_area Layout inside a RelativeLayout, aligned to the right side. And we'll make that RelativeLayout have the same Weight as the @id/notification_icon_area.

Giving us:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.phone.PhoneStatusBarView android:orientation="vertical" android:id="@id/status_bar" android:background="@drawable/system_bar_background" android:focusable="true" android:fitsSystemWindows="true" android:descendantFocusability="afterDescendants"
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:systemui="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/com.android.systemui">
<FrameLayout android:id="@id/call_background" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" />
<ImageView android:id="@id/notification_lights_out" android:paddingBottom="2.0dip" android:visibility="gone" android:layout_width="@dimen/status_bar_icon_size" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/ic_sysbar_lights_out_dot_small" android:scaleType="center" android:paddingStart="6.0dip" />
<LinearLayout android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/status_bar_contents" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:paddingStart="6.0dip" android:paddingEnd="6.0dip">
<LinearLayout android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/notification_icon_area" android:layout_width="0.0dip" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_weight="1.0">
<TextView android:textSize="15.0dip" android:textColor="#ffffffff" android:gravity="center_vertical" android:id="@id/carrierLabel" android:visibility="gone" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:singleLine="true" />
<ImageView android:id="@id/operatorLogoIcon" android:visibility="gone" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/tw_stat_notify_operator_logo" />
<ImageView android:id="@id/operatorLogoIcon_org" android:visibility="gone" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/tw_stat_notify_operator_logo_org" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.StatusBarIconView android:id="@id/moreIcon" android:visibility="gone" android:layout_width="@dimen/status_bar_icon_size" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:src="@drawable/stat_notify_more" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.phone.IconMerger android:gravity="center_vertical" android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/notificationIcons" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_alignParentStart="true" />
</LinearLayout>
[COLOR="red"] <com.android.systemui.statusbar.policy.Clock android:textAppearance="@style/TextAppearance.StatusBar.Clock" android:ellipsize="none" android:gravity="start|center" android:id="@id/clock" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:singleLine="true" android:includeFontPadding="false" systemui:ampmSmall="false" />[/COLOR]
[COLOR="red"] <RelativeLayout android:id="@+id/RightSideOfTheStatusBar" android:layout_width="0.0dip" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:layout_weight="1.0">[/COLOR]
<LinearLayout [COLOR="red"]android:layout_alignParentEnd="true"[/COLOR] android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/system_icon_area" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent">
<LinearLayout android:gravity="center_vertical" android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/statusIcons" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent" />
<LinearLayout android:gravity="center" android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/signal_battery_cluster" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:paddingStart="2.0dip">
<include android:id="@id/signal_cluster" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:layout_marginRight="@dimen/rssi_battery_gap" layout="@layout/signal_cluster_view" />
<TextView android:textSize="@dimen/status_bar_battery_text_size" android:textColor="#ffffffff" android:layout_gravity="center" android:id="@id/battery_text" android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:text="@string/status_bar_network_name_separator" android:importantForAccessibility="no" android:fontFamily="sans-serif" android:layout_marginStart="@dimen/status_bar_battery_text_marginStart" />
<com.android.systemui.BatteryMeterView android:id="@id/battery" android:layout_width="@dimen/battery_icon_width" android:layout_height="@dimen/battery_icon_height" android:layout_marginBottom="@dimen/battery_icon_bottom_margin" android:layout_marginStart="3.0dip" />
</LinearLayout>
</LinearLayout>
</RelativeLayout>
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout android:orientation="horizontal" android:id="@id/ticker" android:animationCache="false" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent" android:paddingStart="6.0dip">
<ImageSwitcher android:id="@id/tickerIcon" android:layout_width="@dimen/status_bar_icon_size" android:layout_height="@dimen/status_bar_icon_size" android:layout_marginEnd="4.0dip">
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.AnimatedImageView android:layout_width="@dimen/status_bar_icon_size" android:layout_height="@dimen/status_bar_icon_size" android:scaleType="centerInside" />
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.AnimatedImageView android:layout_width="@dimen/status_bar_icon_size" android:layout_height="@dimen/status_bar_icon_size" android:scaleType="centerInside" />
</ImageSwitcher>
<com.android.systemui.statusbar.phone.TickerView android:layout_gravity="center_vertical" android:id="@id/tickerText" android:layout_width="0.0dip" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:layout_weight="1.0" android:paddingEnd="10.0dip">
<TextView android:textAppearance="@style/TextAppearance.StatusBar.PhoneTicker" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:singleLine="true" android:includeFontPadding="false" />
<TextView android:textAppearance="@style/TextAppearance.StatusBar.PhoneTicker" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:singleLine="true" android:includeFontPadding="false" />
</com.android.systemui.statusbar.phone.TickerView>
</LinearLayout>
</com.android.systemui.statusbar.phone.PhoneStatusBarView>

I've removed the padding for the clock just to ensure that it is in the exact center of your statusbar. The lines in red are the bits I've added to make your xml use the Best Method.

Oh, and I noticed that your modded xml lost that Back button from the original xml so I deleted it here as well.

Give it a try and let me know what happens! :cool: