This one-of-a-kind digital clock was originally a Computer Measurements Company model 614A Universal Preset Counter. It was built in late 1965, upgraded from a 5-digit to a 6-digit display in 1970, and converted to a clock by me in 2002. It uses vintage Nixie tubes, a form of numeric display that has been considered obsolete since 7-segment LED displays became available in the early 70's. However, many people still prefer the aesthetics of Nixies over more modern display technologies, due to their warm neon glow and individually-formed digits. The exterior appearance of the counter is unchanged - including all the control labels, so it isn't immediately obvious that it is now a clock.

The clock measures about 17" wide, 13.5" deep, and 3.5" high. The case was intended to be rack-mountable, however I do not have the rack mounting brackets for it. It weighs about 19 pounds. The Nixie digits are 5/8" tall: none of the pictures here really do them justice, they are much smoother, and a brighter orange color, than my old video camera is capable of capturing.


The clock's features include:


JavaScript animated clock mockup

Here's a crude mockup of what the clock actually looks like in operation. The time initially shown here is 9:37:25. The time is PM, indicated by the decimal point after the hours. AM or 24-hour time displays have no particular indicator: date displays are distinguished by the COUNT GATE light being lit.

Unfortunately, your browser doesn't seem to support JavaScript, so I can't show you the clock in motion. If you can enable JavaScript, you could do the following:

Start clock simulation JavaScript required, uses your computer's clock.
Push RESET button This steps between time, date, & temperature in time display modes, and between four display variations in random number mode.
FUNCTION switch (display mode): PRESET (time setting) and COUNT OFF (thumbwheel switch test) modes are not simulated here.
MULTIPLIER switch (date format):
MEMORY switch (temperature display): I can't tell what the temperature is at your location, so this feature is simulated with a constant display of "08931.9" (meaning 89°F, 31.9°C).
DISPLAY TIME knob:
Stop clock simulation This will free up the memory and CPU time taken by the animation.


Click here for pictures of the clock's interior, and technical details on its construction.
Click here for the instruction sheet that will be included with the clock (2 pages, in Adobe PDF format - get Acrobat Reader to view).
Click here for details on other unique digital clocks that I've built, or am planning to build.

Important notices

Please read these details carefully before bidding: this is not the clock for everybody.