Vintage-Style Timepiece Showcased through Transparent Bubbles as a Retro Decor Accessory
In the year 2025, the market offers an extensive variety of displays, including LCDs, OLEDs, TFTs, e-ink panels, and LED seven segment displays of all sizes. However, a few decades ago, these advanced options were not readily available, and LED seven segment displays were the most common choice for casual electronics. One such display was the HP bubble display, a collection of miniature LEDs on a PCB, topped with plastic bubble lenses, which was commonly found in calculators of the 1970s.
Joshua Coleman, a DIY electronics enthusiast, has integrated one of these vintage bubble displays into a classic digital clock project. The 3D-printed clock case houses an ESP32 microcontroller and two 74HC595 shift registers to control the display, along with an 18650 rechargeable battery, complete with all necessary charging and protection circuitry. Despite the simplicity of the circuit, the code is offered for interested readers. Although Coleman apologizes to non-American readers for his use of US date formats, the majority of readers should find it straightforward to change the display to the universally recognized date format.
Interestingly, if you come across a bubble display, it may be worth holding onto it, as it has been featured in a few previous DIY projects on this site. Previous tinkerers have used bubble displays to create retro-inspired clocks, combining the nostalgic charm of the vintage technology with contemporary electronic components.
In addition to traditional LED bubble displays, there are more experimental implementations, like a project by RealCorebb that replaces the LEDs with air bubbles controlled by solenoids within a clear acrylic enclosure to create digits or counts. The goal of this innovative approach was to use air bubbles as a dynamic display element, experimenting with various fluids like water, glycerine, or silicone oil to achieve the desired visual effect. However, this project presented technical challenges, such as air leakage, in achieving the desired outcome.
In conclusion, the HP bubble display originated in the 1970s as a distinctive LED-based numeric display technology used primarily in calculators and instrumentation. While it has since become less common, modern DIY projects continue to integrate vintage bubble displays into retro-styled digital clocks or push the concept into innovative, air-bubble-based visual displays. This demonstrates the enduring appeal of vintage display technologies and their ability to inspire creative, visionary applications among enthusiasts.
The vintage HP bubble display, a relic from the 1970s, has found a new life in modern DIY electronics, as observed in Joshua Coleman's digital clock project. This nostalgic technology, though considered less common today, seems to hold a lasting charm, inspiring innovative implementations like the air-bubble-based displays engineered by RealCorebb.
