Chess clocks
Chess clocks are a creation of the 19th Century , when timing gamds via sandclocks was considered to be unpractical. The first chess clocks were made by watchmakers combining two mechanisms on a balance lever - fe Fattorini in London. Later standard designs came about that responded better to the needs of the game. The end of mechanical clocks is in sight, enforced by varied time rithms imposed by FIDE - in the near future, early digital timers will become collectors items as well.
Meta clock
This clock was produced in spain, with german clockworks, and uses a simple and effective system to stop the clocks: the wooden bar at the bottom bears a curved spring, which either brakes the flywheel for one side, or for the other! As the mechanics therefore are mounted upsdie down, two patches cover the old seconds face on the top... and a new seconds face was placed at the bottom of the main clockface!
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Old German
German clock from the 30ies? - simiar to BHB, but no marks - very deep, rear wooden plate missing, in working order. the delicate clockwork bears the ciseld inscription: " H. Höpplein, Herne" |  |
BHB
Very old BHB clock - in a marbled bakelite case, works fine. Ca. 1950. | Bohemia
Bohemia clock, between 1960 and 1980, looks fragile, noisy buttons, works fine. Later briefly sold as Torpedo clock. |
Alpha
50ies version of the German Alpha clock - handmade in Western Germany till ca. 1990 - this one is late 50ies or early 60ies. | INSA
This plastic version of the INSA clock - still made today - is from the 70ies. |
Roa
Exotic clock from Argentina - made sensibly between 1950 and 1980? - extremely short button action - works well. | Koopmans
Often apostrophed as the best mechanical chess clock ever made , the Koopmans was produced in Dordrecht from the 60ies till the end of the 1990ies - when the maker died! Robust box, excellent clockwork, solid buttons, works fine. Koopmans can be dated exactly, as the maker used to stamp the date of warranty on them! |
Ruhla Gardé
Absolute longseller, still made today - the Gardé clock from eastern Germany served as coin of change for east German chess players in many tournaments! Older ones like this one - marked Ruhla! - sport an inhouse clockwork - later versions are operated by less reliable mechanics. | Sutton Coldfield
One of the first Sutton Coldfield clocks - Chess Magazine - sports a push lever action, and is obviously composed of two alarm clocks. |
Sutton Coldfield 2
Later version of the alarm clock gadget from Sutton Coldfield/B.H.Wood.
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Old German
Large German clock from the beginning of the 20th C - marked "Max Andres - Uhrenfabrik - Schwenningen, Württemberg"
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AAA clock
One of the rarest clocks in the world - only four made by a local clockmaker for Portuguese chess club Associaçâo Academica da Amadora. Two alarm clocks, connected by a lever on top which the players have to push back and forth! Unique. | Hungarian ARO
A well known clock, very solid, with a lowslung lever action, made in Hungary and widely exported from the 50ies to the 70ies. Sweet mechanical action, clocksworks mounted in solid wood blocks! |
Jerger Olympia
For many years, the paradigmatic competiition clock in Germany, the Jerger had a superb clockwork, inclined wooden case, suave button action, and a large clockface. One of the best - went out of business with the owner's suicide in the 70ies... | Jerger Plastic
The cheaper plastic version of the Jerger never became quite as popular as the wooden one, despite the sizeable price difference. |
Moscow Clock
Made by the Moscow clock Company No.2 (and the Jantar factory as well), these huge and very silent clocks were the tournament standard in the UdSSR from the 30ies till the 60ies. Typical features of these Soviet clocks are the action stoppers in the middle, long button action, and massive clockworks. These clocks have forerunners in old German chessclocks (see above) they might be copied from. |  |
Czech Bakelite
Bakelite clock - probably made by the Becker-Junghans manufactury in Braunau /Broumov or the Kienzle factory in Komotau (both nationalized by the the communist regime in 1946, combine under the name of Chronotechna, and transferred to Sternberg) - very dicey button action, rounded forms reminiscent of old 30ies radios. This clock could date from 1930 tiol about 1943 - but might even have been made by Chronotechna after 1946. | Jantar bakelite
Bakelite version of the large wooden russian clocks - in"Stalin baroque" style. Same action as wood version, same features, suave long button action. |
