MX Black Clear-Top, Cherry brings the Nixie back to life, the cult switch of the ’80s

After the MX Clear Ergo switch, the German Cherry announced the arrival atearly 2023 of the new MX Black Clear-Top. “New” so to speak, in fact it is one reissue of a switch produced for the first time in the 1980s and known in the community of enthusiasts as “Nixie“At the time it was produced by Cherry herself for a few years on commission from Nixdorf Computer AG, so the original Nixie can only be found second-hand and at high prices.

Regarded as a switch suitable for fans of linear switchesthe Nixie therefore returns in a more affordable and easily traceable version. MX Black Clear-Top follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, but is even better thanks to the most modern production processes and materials.

Also, they are available two variants to meet different needs of enthusiasts: one with lubricant high performance KRYTOX GPL 205 GRADE 0, applied with what Cherry calls “perfect dosage in a high precision automated process”, and one without pre-lubrication.

In a long post on your blog, Cherry explains that the name Nixie was born from a variant of the classic MX Black, adapted for the requirements of the German Nixdorf Computer AG. “The requirement was a ‘milky’ housing top, an increase in actuation force from 60 to 63.5 cents, and the relatively rare solution at the time of having a diode integrated into the N-Key rollover switch. , or NKRO for short “.

The switch was mainly implemented in “Nixdorf CT06-CT07 / 2 M Softkeys” keyboards for use on minicomputers, servers or terminals. Much appreciated because it is able to insure fluid writing and full-bodied sound, the Nixie has become a “legend” over time for fans more and more unavailable.

Focusing onnostalgia effect, Cherry then decided to create the modern successor to that switch by naming it MX Black Clear-Top. Vintage design and characteristics similar to the original therefore make it suitable for a large audience of enthusiasts.

Produced by Cherry at the Auerbach plant in Germany, MX Black Clear-Top will arrive in early 2023 guaranteed for 50 million pressures, with a total stroke of 4 mm and a rebound time under one millisecond. At the moment a list price has not been indicated. More information on Cherry’s website dedicated page.