There's a room in London's Science Museum filled with the grand planetariums of former kings, queens and English noblemen. Once the height of scientific toys, none of them holds a candle to Van Cleef & Arpels' Complication Poétique Midnight Planetarium watch.
No, we've no idea why you might want to know the location of six of our solar system's planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn) at any given hour of the day, and we realise that a watch without a minute hand is a tad inconvenient - but just look at it.
Housed in an 44mm 18kt rose gold case, a Swiss automatic movement controls the rotaiton of the planets, months and hours. It will take Saturn 29 years to make a full rotation of the watch face, with Jupiter a fraction quicker at a little under 12 years. The star on the face can be repositioned so that it aligns with the Earth, to indicate an anniversary the owner might like the remember (like that time they won the lottery).
If the inclusion of semi-precious stones for the planets and watch details weren't opulent enough, the strap is made from alligator. You'll have to get in touch with Van Cleef & Arpels if you want to find out how much it costs. Make sure you're sitting down when you make the call.
(Images: Van Cleef & Arples)
(Via: Acquire)
