Ever since the first sundial cast its shadow we've been looking for new and inventive ways to tell the time. Timepieces that talk to you, use LED lights instead of numbers and spell out the time in words are just some of the results, and although the Reflectius concept from Art Lebedev Studio (think Optimus keyboard) uses a standard digital readout as the display, the way it achieves this is anything but standard.

Reflectius makes use of a single laser beam and sixty rotating mirrors to draw numbers. To change the numbers on the display, the mirrors are rotated to precisely reflect the laser to the correct path.

Why? Well, apart from the ultra-modern design and the possibility of being the only one on the street with laser clock bragging rights, the designers say the "complex triangulated surface" is a reminder of the "complicated trajectory the beam of light travels in no time."

You'll need to make sure you don't miss your next appointment while pondering that one.

There's no indication if or when Reflectius will move beyond concept design stage.

Art. Lebedev Studio via Dvice.