Way back in the day, civilizations used to tell time by the position of the Sun and the stars. Today, we can find the position of the Sun and the stars with a clock — a very beautiful clock. The Quarter Millennium of Vacheron Constantin is one of the most ornate I've seen.

Engraved around the gold sphere are constellations based on sky charts and terrestrial maps from the 1700s. The globe is divided into eight lotus-like petals that unfold to reveal the even more ornate clock inside. The clock tells the hour, time zone, day of the week, month, and the phases of the Moon. This isn't another pretty decoration that sits on the mantle — this timepiece is sophisticated enough that it shows differences between mean time and true time fluctuations that happen throughout the year. Like some Milo Rambaldi device, in order to access the clock, you have to open the petals using a very specific combination that only the owner is privy to.

You probably won't be getting this gold clock for your first wedding anniversary, as this one-of-a-kind item sold at auction for close to $2 million. — Stephen Schleicher

Antiquorum, via SlashGear