Chronos Chess Clocks are Back!!!

I bet they don't stay long this time. Hopefully, there will come a time soon when they will catch up and get a surplus, so that they are just plain old available all the time in all colors/button configurations.

I've not used them, but people report that they physically stand up well to heavy blitz use.

I have read the manuals of all the major digital clocks, and the Chronos clocks seem to be the second most flexible in number of timing modes and variations they support.

For delay modes, they seem to have the most display options. Suppose you are playing a game with a 5 second delay, and you have 180 seconds left on your clock, so at the start of your move you have a total of 185 seconds until your flag falls. There are at least three ways that clocks display your time on your move.

1. Some clocks display the total time until flag fall. They would display in this example 185 seconds (03:05) at the start of your move, and that counts down. When you finish your move, they add back the minimum of the 5 second delay and the time you used on this move. This is how the DGT 2010 and DGT XL work.

2. Some clocks display the time, not including delay, and mark the delay by some kind of flashing indicator. These clocks would show 180 seconds at the start of your move (03:00) and would flash the delay indicator for 5 seconds before the display time starts counting down. I believe this is how the DGT North American works.

3. Some clocks display the time, not including the delay, and also display the remaining delay time. These clocks would show 180 seconds (03:00), and also would show 5, and the 5 would count down to 0, and then the 180 would start counting down. The Excalibur Game Time II works this way.

It is important to note that these are all acceptable in USCF tournaments, and are in fact mathematically equivalement as far as time keeping goes. That is, any given sequence of move times will lead to the flag falling at exactly the same time on all three kind of clocks. All that differs is how they present your time to you.

Despite being equivalent, some players have strong preferences for which they want. The Chronos clocks have support for all three.

PS: I said that the Chronos seems to be the second most flexible clock in modes supported. If you are curious, I think the most flexible is the DGT XL. It's manual mode lets you construct a time control of up to 5 periods that mixes periods of any timing method that makes sense, no matter how weird. You could have a 30 minute period, following by a 1 minute byu-yomi period, following by a 20 moves in 60 minutes with 5 second delay period, followed by a sudden death 60 minutes with a 12 second increment.

As far as I know, the Chronos does not let you go that wild (nor does any other clock I know about).

Just checked: out of the 40 clocks they got in as part of shipment 2, they have 2 push botton clocks (Blue) remaining and  9 touch sensor clocks remaining (5 Black, 4 Blue). In short they have already blown thriugh almost 3/4 of the clocks they got in.

 I have only ONE problem with DGT clocks, but it applies to ALL of them: It pertains to their rocker arm switch. These things have a very bad tendency to become "floppy" over time. They also tend to "feel" "cheap". The only "good" thing about them is they are "blessed" by FIDE. Truthfully even it it is not "blessed" by the USCF or FIDE as their "Official" clock, the defacto standard is still the Chronos, all the rest are pretenders. That is why there is such a run on any Chronos clocks that do come in -- there is the Chronos, and then there is everything else.

Chesshouse.com also has some in stock. They have black in both touch sensor and push button.

Sounds to me like they received another shipment 

Since my lasy update WC is nows down to 1 push button clock (Blue) and 4 touch sensor clocks ( 1 Black, and 3 Blue) meaning that they sold 6 clocks -- so-far -- today. If this trend continues they will have sold out by Monday at the latest.  The GOOD news is that the stampede seems to be on its last legs, and now that Chess House is getting clocks in can only mean that the pipeline is, at last, starting to fill, though it may still be months before all major outlets will have them back in stock.

I *suspect* that the Chronos II both in the push button and touch sensor, will be the main clock that will be stocked, but by the end of the year I suspect that the Chronos GX will start to be re-introduced back into the pipeline. I *suspect* the reason Chronos re-introduced the Chronos II first rather than the GX is that right now Chronos is the ONLY player in the elongated market, whereas Chronos would have to compete head-to-head with the Zmart ZMFII Fun Clock, which is esentially a knock off the Chronos GX touch sensor, though with a Plastic Shell, LED display, and sold at half the price and half the functions of the Chronos GX. I *suspect* once the pipeline is filled once again with Chronos II's, that they will then go after re-claiming the GX style market that they ceded to ZMART.  

What is the difference between the Chronos II and the GX? I know the GX has a smaller case than the II, but in functionality, is there a difference? I've heard it referenced as a blitz clock, but not sure why?

The wider display on the Chronos II displays complete time information on the game at all times while the FX and GX need to switch from hr:sec to min:sec display when the time remaining is less than 10 minutes. This is a serious but only flaw.

In blitz games this is meaningless. As blitz clocks the FX and GX are therefore flawless and best ever.

-Izmet

My Chronos is probably the biggest chess purchase made besides my board. I defintily dont regret it. I love it for blitz because its so silent.

Well here is the latest update: WC  is down to just TWO (2) clocks: 1 BLUE  Push Button; 1 BLUE  Touch Sensor. They should be gone NLT Monday. After that try The Chess House. They have 13 BLACK Push Button clocks, and 15 BLACK Touch Sensor clocks. The Price will jump from  $114.99 to $125.00 per clock -- a $10 premium but clocks will still be available, even if WC does not get another shipment for some time. That's a total of 30 clocks. Right NOW WC and CH are the ONLY distributers that have any Chronos chess clocks available.  Hopefully we are seeing the end of the drought in Chronos clocks.That said IF you are planning on buying a Chronos II (ie "I MUST have a Chronos or I will die"), consider doing it NOW while there are still clocks available, since we can not forecast when the next shipments will be in, though hopefully any future waits will be get shorter and shorter, though that is no gaurantee. That CH now has them in stock besides WC can only be considered a good sign.

An early indicator will be how fast the next shipment of clocks arrives at WC, if there is a prolonged wait -- a month or more -- there may still be a production problem; if however there is a short wait -- less than two weeks -- then the indications are the pipeline is filling, and you can expect other distributers such as The Chess Store and House of Staunton / USCF Sales to soon be getting in clocks as well.  

...and NOW the rubber hits the road: WC is OUT of Chronos clocks, and CH has 9 Push Button Clocks, and 13 Touch Sensor -- all in BLACK  -- clocks left in stock which they are selling for $125.00. Stay tuned. 

ACE has black ones! Both button and sensor long Chronos for a hundered and nine bucks.

that's American Chess Equipment.

www.amchesseq.com

Thanks BigLew. We now have or have had 3 places that have or have had Chronos clocks for sale within the past month:

Wholesale Chess: Currently OUT OF STOCK

The Chess House: Has 7 Touch Sensor Clocks. BLACK ONLY: $125

American Chess Equipment: Has -- apparently -- both Push Button and Touch Sensor BLACK ONLY: $109. No idea how many on hand.

  Analysis suggests that the manufacturer is making every effort to re-stock the pipeline -- first WC, then CH, and now ACE. Demand still seems to be heavy. Rotating shortages can be expected probably for the next several months as the manufacturer starts filling the pipeline. A key guage is to continue to see when Wholesale Chess gets in their next shipment of clocks. As to color.... It would seem to be that BLACK is going to be the ONLY color that will likely be available at the current time as the pipeline fills, though expect to see both BLUE  and "BEIGE" (White) as soon as demand starts to taper off. The priority seems to be getting ANY clocks -- regardless of color -- out the door just to meet the pent up demand for clocks is met.

The next two distributers to be looking at are USCF Sales / House of Staunton, and The Chess Store, both of whom have sold the Chronos brand clocks in the past. 

If you have knowledge of any distributer who is now selling Chronos Clocks please post here as a service to your fellow chess enthusiasts who may be looking for a Chronos clock.

Thanks

Yep does not surprise me 1 lot of 10 each: 20 clocks. I suspect those 20 may be -- or will be -- gone after today. So between CH and ACE there are 27 clocks. I suspect the 10 push butttom will be gone by the end of the day for sure, and most if not all the touch sensor from ACE will be gone as well, leaving the higher priced clocks at CH, though @ 7, that number is likely to be exhusted by the end of the coming week.....

Also of note, the clocks are basically the same price from CH and ACE. CH has free shipping over $100, and I did a mock order for one at ACE, and put in my zip code to see how much it would be, and the total with shipping came to $125.67. So, $125 in either case. Wholesale Chess will be the best deal, if anyone can catch them there when they come in.

There is no such thing as a free lunch! Or for that matter free shipping. 

Mmmm, free lunches...

(Apologies to Milton Friedman )