Vintage Nixie Tubes Combine with Modern Tech in New Nixie Watch
The NIXOID Next is the world's first dual-core tube wristwatch.
Three years after the launch of the NIXOID Classic, a campaign launched on Kickstarter to fund the NIXOID Next, a watch collection based on Nixie tubes. A Nixie tube or cold cathode display is a glass tube resembling a vacuum tube that contains a wire-anode and multiple cathodes, used to display numerals in bright orange by applying power to one of the cathodes. They have been embedded in sensors, counters, and, of course, digital time displays, but production ended on them over 30 years ago, making them scarce. The new Nixie watch collection, apparently made possible by the discovery of an untouched warehouse of lamps, brings a retro tech look to a modern watch.
Improving on the original models, the NIXOID Next watches promise a lamp life of at least 20 years. They’ve worked to eliminate common failure modes of Nixie tubes, improving the system for anti-poisoning of cathodes. The tubes used are military-grade lamps manufactured in the USSR, with a glass thickness resistant to breakage; they use only new lamps to ensure no existing wear. The latest watches have also been designed with an accelerometer, a more capacious battery, and a magnetic charging connector. The accelerometer is maybe the biggest upgrade; rather than just tedious button pressing, just gesture with your wrist to light up the display. For increased autonomy and accuracy of the sensor, the watch runs with a dual-core processor, one of which is dedicated to accelerometer data only. Designed not to respond to accidental movement, the watch responds to an intentional gesture of turning the face away and then back towards you. Of course, you can always click the button too.
The casing design has gotten an overhaul as well. The housing for the tubes is a durable weapon-grade aluminum of just 16.9mm in thickness, making for a thin, light design. The top of the watch is sapphire crystal with a hardness of 9H, and the straps are made of fluorine rubber or genuine leather. It currently comes in four color options, but as the campaign reached almost five times its goal with over a month to go, they are developing new accessories to hopefully match the tastes of anyone interested. And if you are, backers can preorder starting at $350. It’s certainly a neat update to the tech and a cool addition to a gadget lover’s accessories.
