THERE ARE CLOCKS AND THEN THERE ARE clocks that are almost timeless. How about a striking table-top clock that shows the time through lit glass valves? Think back to the 1960s when digital clocks and watches suddenly became fashionable. MB&F
(Maximilian Basser & Friends, for the uninitiated), the innovative Swiss artisanal mechanical watch and music-box makers, which always has a curious trick up its sleeve, has turned back time with its latest creation — the Nixie Machine. The retro-styled timepiece is available in a limited edition of only 12 pieces.
NIXIE…ERR…WHAT?
Perhaps you don’t remember the “vacuum tubes” of the 1950s. Those Nixies or neon-filled glass valves that were once used in devices like hi-fi equipment, early computers and soon. They’ve made a comeback in the 21st century with the Nixie Machine, designed by Berlin-based Frank Buchwald (in picture) for MB&F’s M.A.D Gallery. Each Nixie has layered wire-mesh cathodes — shaped like numerals ranging from zero to nine
— inside it. When power is transmitted, the relevant wire — in each of the six tubes — glows. The three pairs of Nixies show hours, minutes and seconds. Says Buchwald about his work: “There is something magical about the way its six digits glow to subtly light up a work or living space.” An electronic circuit board controls the time and date display. The Z568M Nixie tubes (90mm tall) were manufactured in East Germany in the 1960s and had been forgotten about in a locked-up Bulgarian army depot.
SECON DS TO NONE
The Nixie Machine, crafted out of burnished steel and brushed brass, scores with its looks and a host of features. There are different ways of displaying time and date too. For instance, there’s the fading effect, flip over effect, etc.. The dock also boasts automatic date and time setting. To save power, you have a night-power down mode, where the internal power supply is switched off (though the internal dock keeps running). Add to that an alarm clock function and the Nixie Machine turns into a veritable table clock with all the works. This one’s definitely about having the ultimate cool time.