A clever blend of retro, vintage and futuristic, the Nixie Tube Clock, which first appeared in the 1950s, will tell you the time while adding a touch of scientific decoration to your interior. The clock is made up of glass tubes in the shape of light bulbs and filaments to display the numbers. This unusual object will bring originality and eccentricity to your home.
A Nixie tube clock shows the time through glass tubes in which stacked metal digits glow orange in neon gas. Nixie tubes were made from the 1950s for calculators and laboratory instruments and were replaced by LEDs in the 1970s; the clocks use new or new-old-stock tubes on a modern quartz circuit. Some models imitate the glow with LED tubes at a lower price.
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A Nixie clock glows amber in warm glass tubes, the technology of 1950s laboratories on a modern desk. Nothing else looks like it.
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The gift that arrives with a story about vacuum tubes and Cold War instruments. Steampunk, minimalist or kit form.
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The Nixie clock kits come with the tubes, the board and the instructions. A weekend of soldering and a clock for life.
Real Nixie tubes or LED imitation is the first question. Then the base material, the number of tubes (four for hours and minutes, six with seconds) and whether you want a kit or a finished clock.
| Type | Best for | Tubes | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| LED Nixie style clocks | The look at a lower price, more colours | 4 to 6 LED tubes | £100 to £130 |
| Real Nixie clocks, wooden base | Desks, studies, gifts | 4 to 6 IN-14 or IN-12 tubes | £130 to £220 |
| Nixie clock kits | Makers, soldering enthusiasts | 4 to 6 tubes, PCB, case | £130 to £200 |
| Steampunk and designer models | Collectors, statement pieces | 6 tubes | £190 to £312 |
All clocks are USB powered with 12h or 24h display. Real tubes last tens of thousands of hours and replacements are available; the product page says which tube type is fitted.
Each digit is a cathode. Around 170 volts between it and the mesh anode ionises the neon, and the gas glows orange in a thin layer just around that shape. Only the selected digit lights, so the number appears to float in the tube.
Free UK delivery over £45 and 30 days to return it. For a different way to read the time, try our unusual wall clocks and hourglasses.
