Chronos Chess Clocks are Back!!!

The DGT 960 and Easy are horrible. Don't buy them.

The DGT North American is a good clock. When price is factored in, I would say that it is the best clock for the money. You should be able to get them in the area of $40-$45 if you look around.

Here are the disadvantages that I see:

(1) It lacks LEDs that allow you to know whose move it is from across the room. For me this is an important feature, as I like to get up and walk around the playing hall during my game to keep my mind fresh. 

(2) It is very clumsy to reset the clock after a blitz game for another game. It is the same with all DGTs and I have never understood the purpose of this design.

(3) It is made of cheap plastic. Make sure you get a good one that is balanced on both sides of the levers. It is very annoying when the levers require different pressure to get pressed down.

As someone stated above, the DGT Easy is a piece of crap. The TD at my local chess club went cheap and ordered them for the club and they are the worst clocks I have ever used, much worse than the Excalibur. Compared to the DGT Easy, the Excalibur is a Chronos.

The worst thing about the DGT Easy is they make a loud click-clack sound when the levers are pressed that makes it impossible to play a game of speed chess in a corner of the club without complaints while a tournament is going on.

You get what you pay for.  I manned up and survivied the pain of shelling out the money for a Chronos with the touch sensor.  It has turned out to be a wise investment.

I, too, like to get up and walk around during a game and have no trouble distinguishing whose move it is with the DGTNA.  Also, resetting the clock is pretty simple.  Off/on, checkmark, playbutton, go.  The "cheap" plastic is more than adequate unless you are throwing it around or something.  Take reasonable care of your equipment and it will last a decade, no different than any other clock.  

My eyesight is not as good as yours probably. At my club, I can't tell whose move it is from across the room with the North American. With the ZMF-II and Chronos, I have no problems at all.

Also on the ZMF-II and the Chronos, I like the single press reset for speed chess games. You described the North American reset procedure perfectly. I still don't know why I have to lift the clock up and hit the on/off button on the bottom to reset. It makes no sense to me, but that's just me and I'm sure others don't mind. In any case, I use my ZMF-II or Chronos GX for speed chess games, so it is less of an issue for me than if I had only the one clock.

Cheap plastic is more than adequate for a chess clock. But it is still cheap plastic. Whether it lasts a decade, I'll find out when I've had mine for that long. Since I rarely use mine, I hope it would. But if it doesn't last a decade, it won't be because it was made out of plastic. Having said that, being around kids at the chess club I do see that the North American gets pretty thrashed. (The blue Saiteks get thrashed the worst.) I don't see the same visible wear on the Chronos. I'm thinking the difference is not because the kids who own Chronos clocks are taking care of their equipment better. I could be wrong, however.

My eyesight is really good, so the lack of LEDs is fine, but I love the chronos for that reason.

I like that the DGT clocks take so long to reset because that is a precaution against "accidental" resetting of the clock.

I have a stern discussion with any clock slammers after the game, but if they start doing it during the game I will write a little note down nicely asking if they would stop the slamming. It is actually against the rules to forcibly hit the clock.

The Saitek's and Easy's are just crap, as many have already stated. The Excalibur isn't exactly good, but I have regularly used mine since 2008 and it still works fine. As with any clock, you just have to look out for who you let use your clock.

As a new member here, I'll say I've been impressed and mildly surprised by the number of comments on my inaugural post about my chess clock purchase decision process. All have been interesting and most have been helpful, so thanks to all who have chimed in. I only have one follow-up remark to make, which is to say that don't think in the case of the DGT NA clock, the adjective "cheap" can be justified to describe its plastic case as frequently as Chronos enthusiasts seem to use the word. It will not likely take a bullet as gracefully as the Chronos - I cheerfully concede that. But while it is not made of steel plate, the ABS plastic case seems to be of solid, quality construction. I do question the longevity of the see-saw paddles and I can see how this could be an issue with "Slammers" and also with children. Since I do not play with either, I do not anticipate any serious problems, but we shall see. I just took delivery on the DGT and I can say that it really is very easy to program, which was the only consistent complaint I have heard about the Chronos. But I am in the camp that says you can't go wrong paying a premium for the highest quality, and it probably would have bought the Chronos if I had been able to locate one. Still, I think the DGT NA will suite me fine, and if/when it dies, I may then go with Chronos if they become more readily available.

I have been gone  for a while (carpet cleaning,  Dr's appts. etc .) and just cruised by here. A couple notes:

1) Me?? I'm Old School,  give me a BHB analog clock any day of  the week.  Sadly the  day of the analog clock has come and gone. If you you plan  to play in any tournaments you need a digital clock. 3-4 years ago  I thought about *trying* to make a "comeback", and  I needed to knock some 15 years of "rust"  off, and to access how a neuroliogical  disease woulsd effect my play.  I purchased a HOS heavy weight Marshall Plastic set, a roll  up high quality vinyl  board, and  then came the choice of the clock.

2) I needed a low center of gravity clock that I could  not knock  over, and was well built.

3) At the time  of my  inital purchase Chronos was the de facto chess clock in the U.S., and  many  still consider it so. I looked at and considered  the DGT 2010  (FIDE certified), and I had a chance to use the DGT NA. The problem I  had with  it was after so  many years the "paddle"  becomes very "floppy" ie loose if you will. That was what killed the DGT for me. After due consideration I decided to go with the Chronos II Push Button (BTW as a note the original Chronos has a switch in the bottom which  you use to turn the clock ON and OFF with The Chronos II eliminated the switch.  The long version of the clock regardless be it Push Button, or Touch Sensor are still called Chronos II's as in 2nd Generation. Some companies have confused the Issue by calling the Push  Button  variety "Chronos I" and the Touch Sensor variety "Chronos  II" Unless the clock has a switch on the  bottom, all  the LONG clocks be they Push Button or Touch Sensor, are called Chronos II).  I use my clock 2-3 times a week, and ysterday just inserted my third set of batteries -- that's how much my clock get used. 

As to  my "comeback"... I entered into four non-rated "charity" events to test my skills. Out of the four events I finished 1st outright, or tied for 1st in 3 out of the 4 events, and  placed 2nd in the 4th event. And there were no   gimme's either, in the last event I pulled a draw with  a person rated around 2020.  In short I found I was playing as well as ever, but sadly do  to the drugs I take 4-5 times a day, I found  recording  moves to be a big  issue, and  found  that I fateigued a lot faster than I use to. Back  in  the  day when I played every tournament was  "Open", and you were lucky if it drew 10-15 players, digital  clocks did not exist, adjournments were a norm,  and you never saw an  8 y.o sitting across from you. After that 4th "Charity"  event I had my  answer: I'm still a strong  player -- far stronger  than  my  USCF 1664 rating (last obtained late 1980- 1981) shows -- but physically there  was no  way I could  do it.

Today I  play a lot of "skittles" games and have a lot of fun. I do not regret the purchase of the Chronos one bit -- it is the digital equivalent of the BHB "Special"  I used in the days of yore. Like it or not if you need to buy one clock, make it a digital clock. While I am  not a fan of DGT (see note about the "floppy" paddle above) it is a decent clock. A better clock would have been the ZMF-II.

I suspect -- don't know just suspect -- that the reason for the hold up in Chronos Clocks has to do with the manufacturing of the LCDs. LCDs tend  to be finicky.  I suspect that 3rd Generation clocks will tend toward the  use of LED displays rather than  LCDs. I think  ZMF is a trailblazer  in their use of LEDs in Chess clocks and as they gain  market share and a track record, other companies will take note, and  start introducing clocks featuring LEDs as well. 

Wishing you well, and  luck for continued success.

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I have bought about 3 chronos over the past few years. The sturdy seitek withstood a pounding but when my son pressed the move counter button while struggling to make the time control after he stopped notating, and his opponent protested, it was time to get a clock that showed the time and the move count.

But the chronos, for all it's metal durability, has a HUGE problem: the batteries pop out way too easily. Open it up (with a screwdriver!) and you see the inside is practically empty except for the batteries. It doesn't take much for one to get a little loose, rendering the clock unusable until you unscrew four screws, take it apart, reseat them, and put the screws back in. Which is not what you want to be doing before round 6 of the Nationals (so I forked over $100 bucks to buy another one in a panic).

This meant traveling with a small screwdriver just in case, though that doesn't work if you fly to the tournament (with no bags to check).

The rubber feet come off too easily as well, but that's a minor issue.

I have also observed that when people play with the touchpad, supposedly better for blitz, they often touch it two or three times to be sure. That seems to actually cost time.

With the Chronos, you can secure the batteries by simply taping down the battery case inside the clock.

I have tried that, and I'm sure it helps, but not completely. Maybe I'm just not that good at taping...

It took a few tries for me personally, you just need to find a good roll of tape...that's easier said than done lol

Hummm. I have two Chronos Clocks: My "Primary" Clock which I bought about 4 years ago, and my "Backup" or "Secondary" Clock which I bought just as the run on Chronos Clocks started  about two years ago. There is  a difference between the two as far as battery holders go: In my primary clock there is nothing but a battery holder that holds the 3 AA batteries in place; in my secondary backup clock the 3 AA batteries are in a battery hold that has a cover on it that is held in place with a screw. I have never had a problem with the primary clock haveing the batteries come lose, though  I can see how it might happen, if the steel  prongs that provide the tension were to lose that tension.  I just changed  the batteries  for the thrid time a few days ago since I my clock  gets a regular workout 2-3 time a week; OTOH with the "covered" battery holder should hold them in  place even  if the batteries somehow did become lose. Do you have the "naked" battery holder, or the  "covered" holder?Just an  observation.

As far as I know, all new Chronos clocks have the battery cover.

What's wrong with an analog wind-up type? They were the first ones ever used! Mine is a analog Quartz that takes 1 AA battery. It's so easy all you do is turn the minute hand on what time control you want and that's it. There's no time delay, no fancy stuff it's just a clock!!! And it cost me $20 at the 2012 Chess Festival.

What's wrong with it is it is imprecise, noisy, and doesn't support required features for modern tournaments (delay/increment, etc.)

Good to see you again. Hope all is well with you.

Oh I am a BIG fan of the BHB Special -- grew up on them. Sadly the day of the alalog clock as passed... along with many other things. Today the digital clock with its gazillion "modes" is REQUIRED if you play in tournamnets.  There was a time when most tournaments were "Open", drew maybe 10-15 players, and the sponsoring club provided the board, pieces and clocks.... not anymore. You KNOW you are getting old when you remember playing in tournaments BEFORE Bobby fischer won the world title.

OK for the truly adventursome I am putting this out as a PSA. If you care you can mod your Chronos and  do all sort of different things including the type of battery holders etc., etc., etc. This is taken from Chronos Dealer:

http://www.chronosdealer.com/modifications.html

The following is noted:

"Modification of the Chronos will void the warranty. Use at your own risk."

As I noted however even  after 4 years of heavy use I have had no problem with batteries coming lose etc., and as both I and mldavis617 have noted, the newer clocks now come with a screw down battery cover, so the chance of the batteries popping loose is almost zero, if not zero.  No scotch tape needed.  Even if you have one of the older clocks,  unless you use your clock heavily like I do, the average life expectancy of one set of AA batteries will last well over a year. If you are truly afraid somehow the batteries will somehow pop loose, get something like the clear plastic packing tape (such as you use for mailing packages) and use a small  piece and tape those suckers in place, and  you can be sure neither tape or batteries  will come lose any time soon (removing those batteries when they need to be changed may however present a wee problem). Hope this sets you mind at ease.

Duct tape is probably the best in terms of holding power.  Some clear packaging tape will become brittle and the adhesive dries out and releases.  Probably not a problem if you change batteries yearly, however.