Pastiche of 1960s artistic minimalism and Cold War technology, anyone? The Six Digit Nixie Tube Clock combines original Russian New Old Stock IN-14 Nixie tubes with 16 user-controlled colors of LED lighting, and the hands of Father Time. Designer Electronico, an electrical engineer and Michigander, handcrafted his timepiece to output hours, minutes, and seconds in an array of neon hues displayed as flashing, strobing, fading, or smooth, and selected via a handheld infrared remote control.

In addition to their pretty kind of beauty, the other kind of beauty of Nixie tubes is that they do not have a filament. This means they produce very little heat, and so don't require the kind of ventilation other vacuum tubes need to function, and also have longer operational lives than regular vacuum tubes.

Six Digit Nixie Tube Clocks measure 3" high x 3" wide x 7.5" long, with tubes nestled in shiny black cast acrylic bottoms and tops covered in clear sides. They have settings for both 12- and 24-hour modes of operation, an alarm with adjustable snooze and tone, as well as options for date display functions. A 12Vdc adapter (included) supplies power.

For the tech spec-inclined, the Nixie Tube Clock is microcontroller controlled, fitted with the PIC16F628A microchip. A low-drift, temperature-compensated quartz oscillator ensures accurate time for years to come, and and occasionally sends clock owners back to 1955. The tubes' high voltage requirements are supplied by a high efficiency switching power supply.