Science Meets Style In This Cathode Tube Watch

scope-n-SHOUT writes "The Nixie Watch displays the time on nixie tubes, a cold-cathode tube filled with neon, a little mercury and argon at a small fraction of atmospheric pressure. Nixies were used in many early electronic desktop calculators, including the first: the vacuum tube-based Sumlock-Comptometer Anita Mk VII in 1961. This two-digit wristwatch is designed for everyday use, being water-resistant and rugged, not to mention looking really retro-future cool. The watch requires no button pushing to operate - it shows the hours, minutes and seconds in sequence at the flick of the wrist. For the hardcore code tweaker, a programming adapter allows the GPL'd PIC firmware running the watch to be hacked up at will. The Nixie Watch is being sold in very limited edition, with each piece individually numbered and engraved."

Comments

So its basically the complement of Slashdot

[ghoul]

where Science meets a total lack of style ;)

What time is it?

[Bonker]

*flick* *flick* *flick*

Dammit... too far.

*flick* *flick* *flick*

11... No, I'm sorry, that's the minutes.

*flick* *flick* *flick*

Something 11.

*flick*

And 15 seconds.

A real conversation with my wife

[Dark Paladin]

Me: Hey, honey - take a look at this watch.

My Lovely Wife (MLW): Oh - uh, what is that?

Me: Cathode ray tube watch.

MLW: Oh. How much is it?

Me: About $400.

MLW: $400 for that?

Me: Yeah. And you know what?

MLW: What?

Me: That is the exactly opposite of what kind of a watch I want you to buy me for Giftmas someday.

MLW: Got it.

Re:A real conversation with my wife

[AuMatar]

Exact opposite? So you're waiting for the anode version?

Re:A real conversation with my wife

[Quadraginta]

I thought he was waiting for the version that uses a positron-emitting cathode.

Cost vs. Reward

[mister_llah]

Cathode Tube Watch: $395
Tiger Print Suit: $2530
Authentic Aviator Goggles: $125

Realizing that you have the fashion sense of Helen Keller: Priceless

Slashdotted already?

[FlyByPC]

What, are they running the webserver on Nixie tubes, too?

Re:sTUPID aMERican Dream

[Anonymous Coward]

what the fuck is a TUPIDMERD or a saicanream???!?!?!?!?!

Science Meets Style???

[syousef]

More like impracticality meets extravagance.

Ahem, "Cold Cathode Neon Readout Tube Watch?"

[Errandboy of Doom]

"Nixie" is just a genericized trademark.

[N]ame brand word association is one of the more subtle threats to this nation's free trade. It gives the larger, well-known companies an unfair advantage. I'm doing my part to keep the playing field level by weaning people off referring to generic products with brand names.

And yes, even though all the manufacturers are out of business, the principle here is still really important.

Meh, if it was trully geek

[antifoidulus]

it would tell time in hex :P

Re:Retro-future cool

[Anonymous Coward]

Oh so close to a haiku, better luck next time.

Re:Back in the day...

[cocotoni]

You Sir are the last person I would like to have watching the countdown for an important defense missile:

10... 9... 8... 7... 6... ooh, shiny... 4... and look at the depth change...

Only kidding :)

Re:UG-LY

[Eric Smith]

how the hell did this story get accepted? That is by far the UGLIEST thing I've ever seen.

It was probably accepted as a test to separate the nerds from the non-nerds. This is the "News for Nerds" site, after all.

Everyone complaining about it being ugly is clearly not a nerd, since a nerd doesn't care whether a watch is ugly.

Re:Retro-future cool

[Anonymous Coward]

Oh so close to a haiku. Better luck next time. Winter smells like snow.

The only problem...

[squoozer]

... after 3 weeks of wearing this watch your hand goes black and drops off.

Re:It's so cheap too!

[MadCow42]

>> costs $395 plus shipping

Yeah, $395 is a steal, but the "plus shipping" is where they get you. Have you seen the size of that thing? Wow... it'll cost you a mint to ship that.

MadCow.

Is that a clock on your wrist?

[digitaldc]

Or are you on house arrest?