Stephen Hawking recently unveiled this $1.83 million clock at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. The frightening timepiece took seven years to build and is a tribute to John Harrison, allegedly the world's greatest clockmaker.

The bizarre Corpus Clock visually explains that it relies on grasshopper escapement to function, and to let you know that time can never be regained once lost, that beast on top actually gobbles down time every 60th second. Oh, and every hour, on the hour, the sound of a "chain dropping into a wooden coffin" is played to really pound home the "time is a destroyer" concept.

Wow, creepy. Can you imagine this thing hanging on the wall in your house? I can -- I'm rich as hell!

Hit the jump for a very worthwhile video of the thing in action.



Stephen Hawking unveils the most morbid, amazing $1.8m clock you'll ever see [engadget]

Thanks to Tom, Bryan, and Erin, all of whom tell time the old fashioned way, by guessing.