Desclock Is a Beautiful New Angle on VFD Clocks

Despite the nearly complete obsolescence of their core components, Nixie tube and VFD tube clocks continue to be one of the most popular categories of maker project we come across. Their appeal mostly comes down to aesthetics and a healthy appreciation for the analog engineering of vintage hardware. But with that popularity comes monotony, and it is difficult for those kinds of clocks to stand out among all of the many, many others out there today. RSFlightronics’ beautiful Desclock, however, manages a new VFD tube clock angle — literally.

Nixie and VFD tubes both present an aesthetic from a bygone era, but work in different ways. Nixie tubes are a bit like neon lights, except the cathodes (which emit light through plasma glow discharge) are bent to form numbers, letters, or symbols. VFD tubes work more like CRTs, and have seven anodes coated in phosphor that can be illuminated as necessary to form numbers. The Desclock uses a single IV-18 VFD tube, which contains eight digits (plus symbols) that glow with a very pleasant blue light. Those digits are arranged in a row, and IV-18 VFD tubes are designed to be mounted horizontally.

Because of how those digits are arranged, virtually all clocks that implement IV-18 VFD tubes have them laid down horizontally. But the Desclock highlights that fact with a unique cantilevered design. A rectangular wood enclosure contains the other electronic components, and the VFD tube protrudes from the side of that enclosure. An ESP32board is used for control, and a number of additional components were used to facilitate some interesting features. Those include a temperature readout, haptic feedback, an RGB LED status light, automatic brightness adjustment, and “touchless” tap commands. Because an ESP32 was utilized, the time can be kept up to date via the internet, and a web interface is also available for configuration.