Looking to play tournament chess after many many years. Looking to buy a digital chess clock. Will probably be the only one I buy so I want something durable and decent looking. Been reading the Saitek Pro at about $50-$55 is a good buy and sharp looking nad easy to read. Yes I should say easy to read is also important as well as looking at the clock from a distance and seeing if it’s your move or not. Only thing I didn’t like about the clock was that it took C size batteries which weight more than AA. Why they couldn’t make the same clock with AA batteries I have no idea. Maybe if the C size outlasted the AA that would be a plus. All opinions are welcome on the clock brand etc. Yes I am an old timer, well just 63. 
The best clock is the Chronos. The best affordable clock is the DGT North American.
The Saitek clocks have noisy buttons and a cheap feel, and some of them (I’m not sure which ones) do not have increment – only delay.
Above all, get a clock which has both delay capability and increment capability.
Bill Smythe
I bought a Chronos when I went digital and I really like it, once I get it programmed to the proper time control. But, jeez, they’ve more than doubled in price – between $270 and $300 on Amazon. I think I paid a little under $100 for mine maybe four five years ago.
You can easily pay more than $300 for a single golf club. Chess players have an inexpensive hobby by comparison to most other sports.
The Saitek Pro will do all of what you need. I had no problems with mine.
What Bill said. He knows his stuff on digital clocks. As noted elsewhere: The Chronos is in very short supply these days and prices are tru da roof. If you have the $$$ and don’t mind spending quality time with the manual, it’s still the best clock you can get. Google this forum and elsewhere for rave reviews.
Other things to consider:
Many folks, including me, find the silver Saitek Competition Pro non-intuitive and hard to set. There are some who say just the opposite—but the silver Saitek is the only clock I had trouble setting even after reading the manual and playing with the clock. Either you ‘get’ it or you don’t, it seems.
The blue Saitek scholastic clock is simpler to set and inexpensive—though priced higher than it used to be—but it does not support increment. Both Saiteks have a feature some find annoying: They show the delay countdown first, then show the main clock time only after the delay time ticks down. In time trouble that can be confusing.
I would pass on the Saiteks, unless you get a blue scholastic model for a great price and do not plan to play increment events. (One good feature of the Saiteks: It is easy to spot from far off who is on move, thanks to the large brightly-lit buttons.)
The DGT North American is the official FIDE-approved clock, adapted for the NA/USA market—i.e. straight delay rather than Bronstein, and in delay mode the clock keeps running after one side flags. It supports increment—and handles that feature properly, by adding the increment time for both sides at the first clock press, (I think). Not all clocks do that.
Downsides for the DGT NA: Some find the rocker-type buttons elusive in time pressure, and it is technically less-preferred than other increment-capable clocks for increment games: It cannot be set to ‘not’ halt-at-end in increment modes. Not sure how much of a practical issue that is.
Good case for the DGT NA as the best dollar-for-dollar value clock out there. Maybe try to play a game with one before you buy, to see if the rocker mechanism bothers you.
The DGT 2010 is a fine clock, based on the one time I used one. However, it supports only Bronstein mode and not straight delay, so it’s gonna confuse some of your opponents, who are used to ‘regular’ delay. Plus it costs more than the DGT NA.
Excalibur Game Time II does everything OK, with lots of pre-sets, and supports increment. The display is excellent. It is not the sturdiest—not great for rugged blitz games—and its buttons make some noise. Not sure if any more will be produced at this point: It will likely be harder to find and more expensive, if so.
There are other clocks out there, but the above are ones I have used. My summary:
[i]Best in show: Chronos, especially the classic, full-length version
Best value: DGT NA
Good alternative if you can find it: Excalibur Game Time II
Acceptable if you don’t play increment: Saitek blue scholastic
Acceptable if you can deal with Bronstein rather than delay: DGT 2010
Not recommended: silver Saitek Competition Pro[/i]
Have fun.
Thanks for all the reviews. I have been looking at the DGT NA and will probably buy it. Being away from tournament chess literally for decades I am wondering if I am in a tournament 40 moves in 90 minutes and thereafter 30 minutes for the game I have been reading that the DGT does not add the time of 30 minutes after the 40th move but only after you run out of time after the 40th move. Does this make a difference? By adding the extra time after your time runs out does it adhere to the USCF rules? Also do you have to shut off all sounds to adhere to the USCF rules? Don’t laugh I haven’t played since they invented the digital clocks. 
We are not laughing. Clock settings still confuse players who should know better by now. Some really good TDs might chime in here with more info, but here’s my take as one of the weird ones who studies this stuff.
Yes, all sounds must be turned off, including “beep-at-end.” That took effect this year, I think. Also, if possible the clock must be set to continue to run for Player B if Player A flags, or vice versa.
Either way is acceptable per USCF rules: Adding secondary time after 40 (or whatever) moves, or after the primary time expires. In most or all clocks, that is determined by whether the clock-press counter aka “move counter” is enabled. Whether or not to set the clock-press counter is a hot debate topic. Either way is approved, as of now.
You should be happy with the DGT NA. Enjoy.
Any thoughts on the (relatively new) ZMF-II’s? I haven’t used one, but my first impression is they’re a more-affordable version of a Chronos.
Shortage of Chronos clocks has driven prices up.
Shortage of Chronos clocks has driven prices up.
I too am an equipment geek, owning all the models discussed in this thread. So here’s my take:
- The Chronos is indeed the ultimate. It is built very rugged and whether you get the button or touch sensor model doesn’t matter for durability or time control options. The problem is that the owner of the company and the guy who invented them jobs them out to China usually. After a few months run the manufacturer either raises the prices and/or decreases the quality, from what I have been told. So, this guy has to find a new place to build them every so often and that means a delay in production which we currently are experiencing. Yes, the price is really high now as well. I own 4 of these guys and they all work great. If you can get a Chronos and not lose your mortgage or car payment or something, I would strongly suggest you get one. The one I use for Blitz is something like 12 years old and still working great.
If you do get a Chronos come back on here and ask the easiest and best way to set it, a few of us will give you an easy way.
- The newest clock I own is the ZMF-II, aka Zmart Fun II clock. It’s alright but you are forced with the touch sensor which isn’t the easiest for all types of play. I would look at getting the Black and White model, called something like the Tuxedo. The others are colored LED displays and emit a pretty bright light that you very well might not like for different types of play and playing conditions.
The time controls options are different and the display of the delay is flashy to say the least. I see this clock as more of a novelty or toy instead of an instrument as the Chronos is.
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I have a dozen of the blue Saitek clocks that I bought for my grade school chess club. I also had a black and silver professional model that I gave away when one of the green LED lights in the button just totally quit. These clocks are alright, but there certainly is better at the same or better price.
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I own both the DGT North American (NA) and a Limited Edition 2010 (it’s Red, my favorite color). I agree with others that the DGT NA is the best clock to buy if that’s all you will use in tournaments in the good ole’ US of A.
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I also own a few Excalibur GameTime II clocks, both black and red. I actually like the red one better as the contrast when looking at the display is easier on the eyes, believe it or not. I also have heard that this clock may no longer be made so get what you can now. This would also be a good clock to own for slower time controls, G/30 and slower. This would be the best one clock to own in the lower price range from the Chronos.
With that I have the following options for you:
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If you can find a Chronos buy it. At this time I don’t see any available online, at a somewhat reasonable price.
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With the Chronos not available, I would then buy the Excalibur GameTime II. That is still available from a little under $40 to $50 online. The buttons have white for the stems letting you see from across the room who is to move and the display and options are actually the best, almost equal to the Chronos.
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My third choice would be the DGT North American. It is available for a little over $40 to $55 online.
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The ZMF-II would be my next and fourth choice, in the black with white LED display. I have seen this for $45 to $65 online.
Good luck and good timing to you…
I, too, am an “oldtimer.” Over the years I have acquired all manner of analog and digital clocks as well as chess sets. Probably enough to provide equipment to run an old USSR ch with 20 players. The analog clocks were all easy to set and easy to read. Their only problem was that one could not set them exactly to provide equal time within a few seconds of each clock mechanism.
All of the digitals provide the accuracy for modern tournament play. However, they all have annoying problems, either in reading the display, how the display functions, or the setting of the clock. The recent price jumps for some of the so-called elite clocks will drive many to cheaper clocks, but clocks you may not always be happy with. I have the DGT NA, the Saitek Pro, the Excalibur II, the DGT XL, the Master Quartz, and an odd little beige clock that I was given, could not figure out, and thus never used. The easiest to set is the Excalibur with its many presets. The booklet is clear and easy to use. One downside of some of these clocks is that they can be noisy when you press the button. It is a clock that I use in only selected long time control events. The DGT NA is my new favorite for its ease of use. The display is good and shows the delay. It is easy to set, even for an old veteran player. I have no problem with the rocker arm; it is even a plus if you are used to old analog clocks. The clock is also inexpensive. The Saitek Pro has a large display, buttons that can be seen if you are away from the board, and is pretty sturdy. The setting of the clock can take a while to master. The little button used to change settings can break off if not handled correctly. The display of delay is not satisfying at all - when you have only seconds on your clock, you do not know whether it is delay time or real time that is ticking down. That can be unnerving. If you do not get into time trouble, this clock is good enough for tournament play. It is similarly priced to the DGT NA. These three clocks have been my war horses over the years in tournaments. Of the three, I now favor the DGT NA.
Chronos was unavailable for a long time due to supplier problems. About four months ago, they started becoming available again. Wholesale Chess got a shipment of around 60-120, which they sold at $105. Those sold out in a few days.
A week or so later, Wholesale Chess got another 40, which also sold out fairly quickly. At the same time Chesshouse.com got somewhere in the 30-40 neighborhood. I don’t recall for sure, but I believe they sold theirs for around $115. American Chess Equipment also got something like 20 around this time.
Wholesale Chess got a third shipment, and The Chess Store got a shipment. That was 2-3 months ago.
As far as I know, no sellers since then have received any shipments.
The best bet if you want a Chronos is to probably just check Wholesale Chess every few days. It seems likely that when shipments start again, Wholesale Chess will be one of the first to get them.
Those high prices on Amazon are from sellers selling stock they have been hoarding from a long time ago.
This has been a very good discussion on digital clocks. From my parameters on the budget and soundness and quality of the chess clock I bought the DGT NA for $39.27 shipped 2 day from Amazon Prime. Hard to beat that price shipped and shipped fairly fast. A little intimidating going back and playing after all these years but after the first move the jitters will go away. Thanks everyone for their input.
I own the Chronos, Chronos Blitz, DGT XL, DGT NA, DGT 960, DGT Easy Timer, ZmartFun II and Excalibur GameTime II. I’ve also owned the Saitek Pro, Saitek Competition and DGT 2010. (It’s helped me be able to set a lot of clocks quickly at tournaments.). I think this thread has offered much good analysis of these clocks, so I won’t repeat it.
IMO, the Chronos is the best made clock out there. If you want to find one at a reasonable price, your best bet might be to wait for a major tournament in your area and check the bookseller. I like my Chronos Blitz a lot.
But the DGT line of clocks, especially the 2010/NA, has everyone crushed on the value proposition, I think. It is not heavy, it is well made and it is easy to set manual controls. I think you made a very good choice with the NA. Hope it brings you lots of luck. 
Amazon has an active 2nd market going on. They’ve had that for many years. (It’s how they’re able to keep so much different inventory.)
That being said, the secondary market isn’t shy at times on raising prices if a company (for whatever reason), can’t keep their product shipping. So basically $270 to $300 is almost means that the secondary market is inflating the price because the manufacturer for whatever reason can’t keep the supply up.
In this case, I’d say get a cheap digital clock you can find until the Chonos supply stabilized. Kinda like ticket scalpers with the secondary market.
For anybody that can’t understand how Amazon works it’s secondary market… I’d like to get a Zojirushi induction rice cooker. Believe me, Amazon doesn’t keep that in their warehouse. Rather a secondary seller sells it through Amazon. They just have to agree to Amazon terms, like free or reduced shipping, etc.
It’s not a bad deal. Depending on the product, the seller might be selling on a tight margin, but they’re much more able to move products that have a more limited audience, plus the various Amazon guarantees, some benefits the seller and some benefit the buyers. Yada yada.
:mrgreen:
zojirushi.com/product/product_rc_01.html
-case anybody is curious about that rice cooker. 
I also do own the Chronos Blitz clock as well as a couple of Chronos II button and one Chronos II touch sensor clocks.
The problem with the Blitz version compared to the long Chronos II is the display on the Blitz version is smaller with less of the large digits available in the display. The delay countdown, for instance, is in smaller size at the lower corner of the display. In the long version the delay can countdown and be visible at the same, larger size and also simultaneous to the main time in the display. Because of this, the Chronos II is a better clock for slower time controls and even in the faster stuff.
I own a DGT 960 and I used to own a DGT XL that went with my DGT sensory board. The DGT 960 is small, both in carrying size and in usage. It is certainly not as desirable as the DGT NA or 2010 models, and the cost of the DGT 960 is only slightly less than the DGT NA, so the DGT NA would be the choice here.
The DGT XL is nice but is also in the higher price range with the Chronos. While it is less than a Chronos in cost, it isn’t as nice to use as the Chronos. It has a jack to plug a DGT Sensory Board to it. Other than that, the DGT 2010 works just as well. And the DGT NA does have the US style with actual Delay instead of Bronstein. So the DGT NA would be the winner here as well.
I’ve recommended the 2010 over the NA because it has Bronstein instead of simple delay, because I’d rather see how much time I have right now, rather than how much time I will have when the delay period runs out.
This might not make much difference at d5, but I believe some people have been experimenting with larger delays (which I think is a bad idea). At d10 it would be pretty easy to lose track of how much of the delay you’ve used for the current move, and so have a pretty large uncertainty of how long you have until flag fall on the current move. (This criticism only applies to simple delay clocks that indicate delay by methods such as flashing a “delay” indicator. It does not apply to simple delay clocks that actually show the delay time remaining, such as the Excalibur).
I’d like to see a rule setting a maximum allowable delay for rated games. I see delay as being meant to compensate for the physical aspects of chess–moving the pieces and hitting the clock. It is to stop those from counting against your thinking time. It’s not to give you more thinking time. To give more thinking time we have increment.
Received the DGT NA an hour ago. After I opened the brown cardboard box I saw the shrink wrapped DGT box, so factory fresh, yes. What simple amazed me was the batteries that accompany the clock were still in their plastic but smashed, yes SMASHED. The box however was not smashed or even dented so I figure they packed the batteries in the DGT box that way. Doesn’t speak well for the quality control in that factory for sure but everything else seems fine. Also in the instruction the warranty card is not on page 28 like it states but on page 33, just a minor errata. I might post this on the Amazon review but in no way do I want those junk batteries anyways. They recommend Alkaline and include just the old fashion heavy duty. One wonders, I guess anything to cut another 1¢ from the cost.
All in all looks very nice for the $39 delivered.
I read how much quality the Chronos has but what really bothered me was inconsistency in manufacturing the product and up to 3 to 6 months to get it fixed even under warranty. Why doesn’t the owner just sell the right to a company like DGT or some other one?