Are there attractive digital chess clocks?
a nice attractive one is hard to find...maybe one of these
http://www.chesshouse.com/digital_chess_clock_s/117.htm
I enjoy the clunky look/feel of the Chronos clocks -- like they were state-of-art technology designed by NASA for the sixties space program.
The DGTs are handsome but still look too plasticy and flimsy. Which is not to say they are flimsy -- I've never owned one.
I like the look of the Chronos, too, and largely for the same sort of reasons. Such clunky simplicity. I have a younger friend who's doing an MFA and when she saw my Chronos she had to take a bunch of pictures of it because something about it struck her. She does sort of strange, conceptual art installations so I'm kind of interested to see where she takes it.
The problem I see with digital clocks is that they are all made of plastic mostly with a few higher end ones being metal, usually aluminum.
While the plastic clocks, like the DGT ones, are more curvy and not as boxy as the metal ones and some of the plastic clocks like the ZMF clocks, they look very plastic and cheap looking because of that.
Remember the Excalibur GameTime clocks. They were kind of neat looking but also very plastic.
The guy that makes the V-Tek clock came out with a few that had a wood grain finish to them, over the aluminum. I got one of these as a replacement for one of the black ones that had problems like 3 times in a row. The wood grain finish does look nice. I don't believe they are making any more like that, and come to think of it I don't think they are making anymore V-Teks at all right now.
The Chronos II is indeed a box but it is low, long and sleek. I think that's why people like the looks of it. I know that I like the looks of my Chronos II clock better than all the others, including the V-Teks because of bulk and chunkiness.
They quit making the Duel Timer before I wanted to buy one. Now that clock looks nice. It had the same sleekness as the Chronos plus it was made of wood. The buttons and trim were also made of brass making the clock look classy and not cheap.
The V-Tek clock, ZMF II and Pro all do look clunky.
I wish some manufacturer would come up with a nice, sleek, wood clock that wasn't clunky or cheap/plastic looking.
There used to be GAME TIME & GAME TIME2, DESIGNED BY FRANK A. CAMARATTA.
This clock is no longer commercial but i heard Frank is currently working on GAME TIME3.
This was foretold as far back as 2014. It's almost three years now and there's still no successor to the Gametime 2.
Unless there's new information, I'd consider this a rumor.
The problem I see with digital clocks is that they are all made of plastic mostly with a few higher end ones being metal, usually aluminum.
While the plastic clocks, like the DGT ones, are more curvy and not as boxy as the metal ones and some of the plastic clocks like the ZMF clocks, they look very plastic and cheap looking because of that.
Remember the Excalibur GameTime clocks. They were kind of neat looking but also very plastic.
The guy that makes the V-Tek clock came out with a few that had a wood grain finish to them, over the aluminum. I got one of these as a replacement for one of the black ones that had problems like 3 times in a row. The wood grain finish does look nice. I don't believe they are making any more like that, and come to think of it I don't think they are making anymore V-Teks at all right now.
The Chronos II is indeed a box but it is low, long and sleek. I think that's why people like the looks of it. I know that I like the looks of my Chronos II clock better than all the others, including the V-Teks because of bulk and chunkiness.
They quit making the Duel Timer before I wanted to buy one. Now that clock looks nice. It had the same sleekness as the Chronos plus it was made of wood. The buttons and trim were also made of brass making the clock look classy and not cheap.
The V-Tek clock, ZMF II and Pro all do look clunky.
I wish some manufacturer would come up with a nice, sleek, wood clock that wasn't clunky or cheap/plastic looking.
Eyechess, here is one of the clocks you like listed on ebay for forty bucks?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chess-Clock-The-Duel-Timer-Champion-rarely-used-/152396547760?hash=item237b8ac6b0:g:HXsAAOSwZQRYcE~t
Wow, we had a rated game tonight at our Chess club. When I just got home and looked at this, the auction ended. And, I would have bought that clock for sure. Thanks though.