No matter how cool your watch is, whether it can answer texts, or use google maps, or even read your heart rate. It’ll never be as cool as the NIWA. Simply an amalgamation of the words Nixie and Watch, the NIWA is a wrist-watch that literally uses nixie tubes to display the time! The NIWA puts one of the most delightful elements of retro onto your wrist, giving you a strong vintage vibe that’s most definitely cooler than any smartwatch you’ll wear.
The NIWA is styled with a kind of aesthetic that makes it look like a mad-scientist’s creation. With two incredibly tiny (IN-16) nixie tubes at the center, and glowing blue arc-reactor-ish coils (IV-15) on either side. The tubes light up to display the time, with the blue coils glowing in the background. This entire setup fits right into a 55mm housing (that’s pretty small for a nixie tube!). A sapphire glass* sits atop this dial, providing an immaculately clear view of the time, while also protecting your watch from impact and scratches. Honestly though this watch is such a beauty, you won’t stop staring at the time!
Making nixie tubes is an art and making them this small is nothing short of a masterpiece. These two tubes come with an illustrious history of nixie tube craftsmanship that’s slowly dying as LCD screens take over everything. The nixie tubes aren’t power intensive, so will need charging once every 4-6 days. The NIWA comes with a MicroUSB port, allowing you to use any regular smartphone charger to juice it up. With the NIWA, you also get to choose what strap you want around this neo-vintage beauty. You can choose between silicone, leather, and metal straps, available in various designs. Along with the NIWA, you also get two extra IN-16 nixie tubes for repairs, a charger, a set of magnets (that allow you to set the time on the NIWA), and an exquisite looking dock for displaying your stellar time-piece from a parallel steampunk-loving universe!
Designer: Alexander Avramenko
BUY IT HERE: $420.00
*Sapphire glass available on request.
