Nixie Machine III

Frank Buchwald’s Nixie Machine III is the third chapter of his sculptural clock trilogy for MB&F’s M.A.D.Gallery. Hand-built in Berlin and limited to 18 numbered pieces, the Machine III trades the steel-and-brass of its predecessors for a body of hand-sanded, solid stainless steel that stretches more than a metre across. Six of Dalibor Farny’s large R | Z568M Nixie tubes rise from the spine-like frame to display hours, minutes, and seconds, while exposed conduits and pivoting outriggers give the piece its trademark “mechanical life-form” stance. A Wi-Fi-enabled controller inside the brass base keeps time via NTP, offers slot-machine digit rolls, night-mode dimming, and browser-based settings. With over 300 individually machined components—all finished, wired, and assembled by Buchwald himself—the Nixie Machine III stands as the ultimate evolution of his retro-futurist engine-clock concept.