A nixie tube is a glass tube filled with neon gas and containing ten wire cathodes, each bent into a numeral and stacked one behind another. Put a voltage across one and only that numeral glows, with the warm orange of glowing neon. Nixies were introduced in the early 1950s and used in calculators, test gear and early digital clocks before LEDs replaced them.
Today they are loved for their glow. On this face you can see the unlit numerals as faint wires behind the lit one, with a fine mesh across the front of each tube. It works as a clock, a stopwatch and a countdown; change the accent colour if you want your tubes to glow something other than orange.
Where it's useful
- A warm, retro clock for a desk or second screen
- A striking countdown for an event page
- A talking-point stopwatch for a stream
- A decorative night clock
Three ways to use it
- Clock — the time of day in your time zone or any city, in 12- or 24-hour form.
- Stopwatch — counts up with laps; press Lap while it runs.
- Countdown — counts down from any time you set, sounds at zero, then counts overtime.
Every face runs entirely in your browser, remembers your settings on this device, and can be embedded on your own page.
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Questions
Are nixie tubes still made?
Original tubes are collectors' items, and some makers produce new ones for hobby clocks. This face reproduces the look without any hardware.
Why can I see other numbers behind the lit one?
In a real nixie tube all the numerals sit in the same glass, one behind another, so you can see the unlit ones faintly.
Can I change the glow colour?
Yes. The accent colour shifts the glow from orange to any hue.