Chronometer

Inspired by traditional marine chronometers, Swiss design firm MB&F has teamed up with manufacturer L’Epée 1839 to create a marine-themed, high-end table clock called the Octopod, with the inner movements contained inside a bathysphere-like bubble and mounted atop a set of eight articulated legs.

Breitling appears to be targeting a pretty niche market with its Superocean Chronograph M2000. It might look like just another upmarket diving watch, but this particular timepiece is rated water-resistant to depths of 2,000 m (6,600 ft).

If you thought the Apple watch was something to write home about, take a look at NASA's Deep Space Atomic Clock (DSAC), which is described as "orders of magnitude more stable than today's best navigational clocks," and is smaller and more accurate than any that's been previously sent into space.

Is the mobile phone threatening to kill off the wristwatch? Not if Swiss watchmaker Breitling has anything to say about it. The Breitling B55 Connected combines smartwatch technology with haute horlogerie in a partnership where the phone serves the watch instead of the other way round.

The upcoming auction of an marine chronometer highlights just how far science has advanced in the last 200 years. The historically significant instrument accompanied Charles Darwin on his epic second voyage, helped establish the USA-Canada border and accurately mapped the Australian coastline.