World’s most accurate clock goes on sale in Japan for $3.3 million

The world’s most accurate clock went on sale in Japan for $3.3 million.
The clock is touted as the world’s most accurate.
The device stands approximately one meter (three feet) tall.

A groundbreaking timepiece, known as the “Aether clock OC 020,” went on sale in Japan on Wednesday for $3.3 million. Manufactured by Kyoto-based Shimadzu Corp, the clock is touted as the world’s most accurate, deviating by only one second over 10 billion years.

The precision-equipment producer described the machine as a “strontium optical lattice clock,” stating that it is “100 times more accurate than caesium atomic clocks,” the current standard for defining seconds.

Resembling a squat, wide fridge, the device stands approximately one meter (three feet) tall with a volume of around 250 liters. Despite its compact size for an optical lattice clock, the device can be used for scientific fieldwork.

Shimadzu aims to sell 10 units over the next three years, targeting research institutions working in areas such as tectonic activity observation.

Optical lattice clocks have previously been installed in Tokyo’s iconic Skytree to test Einstein’s general theory of relativity, which states that “time flows more slowly in places with strong gravity.”

With its unparalleled accuracy, the Aether clock is expected to revolutionize scientific research and redefine precision timekeeping.