Chess clock

I want to buy a chess clock; can you guys help me to choose one?

A digital clock is the obvious choice. A good tip I can offer is to buy one with the face slightly curved - this way you dont have to lean your head sideways to see how much time you have (as there is usually not time for this sort of thing in a quick game)

Originally posted by Bruce Willis
I want to buy a chess clock; can you guys help me to choose one?

I recently bought the 'Mephisto' by Saitek (or rather it was bought for me but I chose the model that I wanted) it seems fine, very happy with it.

DGTXL works fine for me...www.dgtprojects.com

Actually, one other thing, make sure the buttons are quite large and easy to press or it has a lever. This sounds silly, but actually makes quite a big difference to how fast you can play.

Originally posted by Bruce Willis
I want to buy a chess clock; can you guys help me to choose one?

One thing I never considered while choosing my clocks, but now wish I had, is the option of having them be completely silent.

The clock I did choose (DGT-XL) wound up being pretty silent, but not completely so. It makes a beep every time you turn it on (which you have to do to reset it after every game), and the big levers on top make noise when you push them. It's usually not a big deal at all, unless you're playing in a library (which I found myself doing quite a lot recently), where these relatively quiet sounds now sound loud and I wonder if I'm bothering other patrons with my clock.

I have seen other clocks which are completely silent, since they don't have any moving parts. If my clock ever breaks, I'm going to consider replacing mine with one of those.

That said, this is probably not the most important consideration when choosing a clock. I love my DGT-XL in every other way except for this. So I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it, as it can do pretty much anything else you want it to except be totally silent. 🙂

thanks a lot for all your answers

I've checked on different website and I think I might go for the DGTXL but the Saitek Competition pro looks also find to me...

http://www.saitek.com/uk/prod/comp_proclock.htm

I've had this one for awhile and it has served me well. No-brainer control scheme and quite sturdy. Also you can turn off the sound and lights.

You're going to pay more for the DGT clocks as well since they're used and licensed by FIDE.

I play kinda slow, so all I need is a calendar! 🙂

is chronos no longer the favorite brand?

Originally posted by tonytiger41
is chronos no longer the favorite brand?

I still haven't seen a better digital clock. The original Chronos is built like a tank, although not intuitive to set up. The new Chronos Blitz remedies this somewhat by eliminating the wide selection of various non-chess time controls and focusing on the most common ones used in chess.

The chronos is twice as expensive as any other clock. Besides, I like the "click" sound my clock makes when I hit it...it's very satisfying 😛

the Chronos has no such click and is therefore no good to me!

Originally posted by ericmittens
The chronos is twice as expensive as any other clock. Besides, I like the "click" sound my clock makes when I hit it...it's very satisfying 😛

the Chronos has no such click and is therefore no good to me!

The DGT clocks are in the same price range as Chronos. The Saitek clock you mentioned earlier looks more cheaply made [plastic instead of steel = less durable]. It also looks like it might have an internal rocker arm to toggle the buttons, just like an analog clock. Why have such a thing on a digital clock?? It's just one more mechanical thing that can break. That's the same crappy design Excalibur's GameTime clock has.

I have three Chronos Clocks - The original with the buttons, one with the touchpads, and the blitz clock with the touchpads. I prefer the touchpads, and the blitz clock is definitely better suited for chess (the default settings are all very common time controls). Best clock on the market, and priced the same as those silly DGTXL clocks. The buttons on those suck. BTW, the chronos with the buttons has a very nice click and action. Give it a try! 😀