Arduino-Programmable Nixie Tube Clock

While something of a relic of times past, Nixie tubes continue to entertain us today, often in the form of brilliant clocks. If you’d like to have your own customizable four-digit display, but would rather not build it from parts, the Enix Clock represents a beautifully understated solution.

It features four IN-14 tubes, along with a smaller light in the middle to separate hours and minutes, and RGB lighting under each tube for brilliant accents. The base is made out of machined aluminum in a bead-blasted or black anodized finish, offsetting the retro look of the tubes with a modern and simple form. It’s set up to show time, date, and temperature, obtained using an onboard thermometer.

While this fully-funded Kickstarter project appears work very well as-programmed, what makes it even more interesting for those that are technically inclined is that it’s Arduino-compatible. As mentioned in the writeup, this means that you might program the lights to chase each other in a Knight Rider pattern, make your own countdown timer, or any number of other possibilities. It’s certainly a neat concept, and worth a look whether you need a new clock or simply for design inspiration!