Shimadzu Corp, a precision equipment manufacturer based in Kyoto, Japan, has launched the world’s first commercially available strontium optical lattice clock.
With an accuracy deviation of just one second over ten billion years, the clock is priced at approximately 500 million yen ($3.3 million), according to Bloomberg.
The clock measures time using the optical transition of atoms trapped in standing waves of light.
Developed in partnership with The University of Tokyo and Riken, it is about 100 times more precise than traditional cesium atomic clocks, which currently define the second.
Shimadzu will begin selling the clock today, aiming to sell 10 units over three years in Japan and internationally.
The company expects it to be used for advanced scientific research.
While this is the most accurate timepiece available for purchase, even more precise clocks are still under development.
