The Chess Clock Cabinet II
As the main room is getting congested, we have opened this new hall for the chess clocks of the Museum - the Curator!
Posingis
H.Posingis made quality chess clocks sensibly until the late 60ies - the production might date back as far as pre-war. Balance lever, Black forest clockworks, smooth operation - still very much useable....
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Posingis?
Looks very much like the other clock - but has no flags nor second markers. Flags came about ca. 1920 - here we have a bit of a riddle.
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Höpplein clock
Older clock - post-WW2 most likely - made in Herne , Westfalia - the clockwork ! in a similar , much older clock in the Museum bears a chiseled inscription H.Höpplein" - works fine, short button action, solid statics....
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Solora
One of the most coveted vintage clocks is this small and finely made chess timer, made by inserting wristwatch works into a wood block specially cut for the small -sized work. This clock is fairly rare, will have been made between 1945 and the 1960ies. Only two other attempts at using small clock mechanisms for chess clocks are known to me, so the Solora is fairly unique. Works fine, beautiful quiet ticking, simple and functional lever action and clock stoppers. Used in the famous Piatigorsky Chess tournaments, California 1966 and 1967 !
| Solora rear arrangements
A millimetrically detailed and excavated wooden block houses the change-over levers, which stop the clock action at the bottom!
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Ursus
Spanish clock mounted in a plastic housing, using the complete clockworks and clockfaces of german alpha clocks! Very short button action, works well, ca. 50ies to 60ies
| HAC clock
These large woodcased clocks with the slow and silent HAC clockworks were the standard in Europe during the 20ies - most of them made in Southern Germany and sold to all kinds of chess businesses, among them Jacques, Hedewig in Leipzig and others. They probably served as models for the later Russian Jantar Woodcased clocks - see the clockstopper in the front!
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Looping (aka Heuer)
This superbly finished chess clock from the 70ies looks like the fabled Heuer - or rather, the Heuer looks like the Looping clock! A little story of marketing and truth & facts, see under Essays & Notes
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swiss precision works - by Looping!
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| Junghans
Junghans was one of the principal companies in the long and eventfull story of clockmaking in Germany, with multiple factories, inventions, and a huge range of clocks of all sorts. This little clock is sensibly from the early days - either immediately after WW 1 or even before. Works perfectly - the clockworks are mounted in bored tunnels in a massive wood block, the lever action is very smooth, and there are double clock securing claps to keep the kids from hammering them!
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