If anyone wants to sell their Chronos clock with push buttons, please message me.  Thanks.

Still looking - anyone out there have a used Chronos with push buttons they care to sell?  

Hummmm NubeDad. If someone has a Chronos the chances that they are willing  to  part with it are two: Slim to None. Judging from your handle -- NubeDad -- I am assuming you want to buy the Chronos for your up-and-coming child. Yes? But  you don't want to shell out a lot  of money in  case chess is a "fad" they may  grow out of?? A Chronos of any sort is a SERIOUS chess clock, for SERIOUS players, even though many "scholastic" players buy them, most of them will  drop out  of the chess scene by the time they finish High School. Those are the statistics. Less than 5% of the cohort who  started playing chess in grade school, will still be playing chess after High School.

There are a few ways to go in purchasing  a digitital chess clock: If it  MUST be a Chronos many of the bigger name wholesalers carry Chronos. Sometimes they  are out of them, but tend to be  the first to get them back in stock. Wholesale Chess has a Chronos GX (the shorter  version of the longer Chronos II ) Push Button, I just  saw in Blue for $104.95. While you *might* find it at a cheaper price,  you are going to have look long  and hard. I once saw a Chronos GX  going for about $95-97, but that  was a month or two ago. Most wholesalers are asking about  $109 on up, so $105 is a good price.

There is a Chronos-like knock-off: the ZMF II Digital Chess Timer. It is a touch switch. It does not have all the functions of a Chronos, has a plastic case instead of a metal case, but costs about  half as much  as a Chronos -- $54.95, again  Wholesale Chess carries them.

There are two other options. Saitec makes two good and popular clocks: The Saitec Competition game Clock in Scholastic Blue (about $42.99), and the Saitec Competition  Pro Chess Clock III ( $49.99 ) Truthfully I'd pick either one over the ZMF, but I admit, I'd rather buy  a genuine Chronos, over  a cheap knock-off.

Then there is DGT. The DGT North American is almost a carbon copy of the DGT  2010 (I think the North  American has one less function than the 2010) The North American costs about  $50.00 and the 2010 cost about $80.00, but  has  the blessings of FIDE. Both are plastic. I used one once, and would never buy one. 

If the USCF is important The Excalibur Game Time II Digital Chess Clock is the "Official Chess Clock of the USCF", sells for between $45.00 - $55.00. Various sellers.. It too is made of plastic. I don't particularly like it but my buddy has one and loves his. Each to their own I suppose.

If *I* were to buy an alternative to the Chronos, *I'd* choose the Saitec Competition Game Clock in Scholastic Blue. They tend to be well made and can take a beating, it has push buttons, and is easy to see whose move it is because the buttons light  up. They tend to be popular with the Scholastic crowd, and cost less than half as much as a Chronos. If I wanted something with a few more features I'd get the Competition Pro.

Hope this helps.

Hmmm...don't know if you're going to have much luck. Chronos clocks with push buttons are becoming pretty hard to find in the marketplace nowadays.

There are two clock versions with push buttons: a "long" version and the short "GX" (or "blitz") style. The long version is almost impossible to find on the internet, and the prices for those are starting to creep up because of their scarcity (between $130-$190). The GX is more generally available, and normally sells between $99-$110.

About a month and a half ago, I purchased a black push-button Chronos GX from ChessHouse (however now all his Chronos clocks except for 1 are currently on backorder). I'm very pleased with it. At first I wasn't so sure about the shorter version (I'd had my eyes set on the long version), but there isn't really a *huge* difference between the two. The main differences:

• GX is smaller (measuring 6.5"x2.5"x2.5" with the longer version measuring 8.75"x2.75"x2.75")
• The GX has several preset time controls, 4 present blitz modes, and 8 present tournament modes (the longer version has approx. 70 presets and 12 user-defined modes)
• The GX is easier to set

Wholesale Chess has a GX push-button for $104.95 in blue: http://www.wholesalechess.com/shop/chess-clocks/digital-chess-clocks/chronos-gx-digital-clock-button-blue

Amazon has a LONG push-button version available starting from $189.99:

http://www.amazon.com/Chronos-Touch-II-Chess-Clock/dp/B0018885N2/ref=sr_1_4?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1372854618&sr=1-4&keywords=chronos+chess+clock

ChronosDealer has push-buttons in stock for $139.99 (but I'd email them before placing an order to make sure they have one): http://www.chronosdealer.com/chronos.html

You could also keep an eye out on Ebay. I've seen Chronos push-button clocks pop up for a relatively cheap price every now and then.

If a Chronos looks like it'll be out of your price range, or too much hassle to deal with and wait for the right one to come up, you do have some other options:

Zmart Fun II Digital Chess Clock (about $50-$60): These things look pretty cheesy with their brightly-colored plastic cases, IMHO. They don't have a name brand either, which makes me curious. No offense to anyone who has one of these (and likes it), but I wouldn't recommend this one. Even if it's a decent clock, it seems overpriced. However, by the looks of it (and that it says it's made in the USA), I'm wondering if Chronos might be behind these?

Saitek Mephisto Competition Game Clock in "Scholastic Blue" (about $40-$50): This is a nice, functional clock (though a bit big and clunky) that I used briefly (before getting a Chronos). It is pretty well-made and is easy to use once you read the manual and mess around with it for a little. It has push buttons (and they light up so you can see whose move it is), so if you like that aspect you might want to go with this one. I see this clock a lot at tournaments and it tends to be popular with the kids. If you don't like the bright blue color, there is another clock made by Saitek (The Competiton Pro, about $50) that is pretty much identical in looks but is a little better in quality and is a nice silver color instead (easier on the eyes, IMO).

DGT Chess Clocks ($40-$100, depending on version): A friend of mine has the DGT North American and likes it a lot. It's well-made and easy to set once you get the hang of it (has a "cheat sheet" on the bottom so you don't need to carry around the manual). The sleek design is appealing to me. I really like the smooth rocker. It's an aesthetic thing, I know, but something about it feels elegant. It's silent when you press it. Nice and feels like quality. Considering all this, it's quite cheap (North American costs $40-50). I'd highly recommend this clock if you're going for something besides a Chronos.

And then there's the Excalibur Game Time II (sells for about $35-50), but I'd have to say "Don't waste your money!" on this one. It's cheaply made and isn't rugged at all. It's made entirely of plastic, the plunger buttons are flimsy and loud, and mine broke within hardly over a year of owning it. For what it is I feel that it's overpriced and I wouldn't recommend it.

All in all, if I were to buy an alternative to a Chronos I'd chose the DGT North American. Reasonable price, great design and quality, easy to use. Second choice would be the Saitek Competition Pro (not the blue one).

I hope this helps. Good luck!

I can tell you that I have experienced a lot of them, and here are the pros and cons to each, listing them in order of my own personal preference:

DGT Clocks - The North American and newer support Blitz, Standard, Delay, and Increment time controls.  They cost less, and work really really well.  When the battery is dying, it's SUPER DUPER SIMPLE to change the batteries.  Slide it open, put in a couple of Double-A's, snap it shut, and you're good to go!  The one and only drawback, there is no light to see from far away that it's your turn, but you shouldn't be going too far from the table too often anyway.

Duel Timer - I have never owned one of these, but have played games against opponents that do.  I don't know if these support increment.  If they don't, move this one further down the list.  Otherwise, the 2 main downfalls are no light to indicate that it's your move AND you don't have anything elevated.  At least with say, the DGT, the bar is elevated on one site, and you can sometimes tell from a distance that it's your turn.  Not with this.  The other big problem with it is that the buttons are so tiny that you could miss the button on the first attempt when scrambling in time trouble.  Also makes this problem not such a good clock for Blitz.

Chronos - You have just about every setting you can think of available.  Delay.  Increments.  Hourglass.  Display Move Counter.  You name it.  However, I used to have a Chronos, used it for about 5 to 10 years, and refuse to deal with them again.  They have one really major drawback.  I play in over 100 slow time control tournament games a year.  I had to change the batteries every 9 to 12 months.  Changing the batteries on the Chronos is an absolute royal pain in the m***** f**king a$$.  They have these 4 little itsy bitsy tiny phillips head screws near the bottom.  You have to unscrew these to open up the area to put in new batteries.  These screws are so tiny that they are easy to lose, and become loose easily.  However, you actually tighten them, and what happens is you go to all these tournaments in the heat and cold, and they begin to expand or warp.  Then it comes time to change them, and here you are trying to unscrew these itsy bitsy phillips head screws, and they proceed to strip easier than it is for you to rip a piece of paper.  Now you have a real problem, as even your special tiny screwdriver set won't solve the problem.  It is an absolutely NIGHTMARE changing the batteries.  NOT WORTH THE TROUBLE!  Tack on the fact that these things cost an arm and a leg, I would highly recommend the DGT clocks.

Satiek Clocks - While these may be easy to use, they are big and cluncky, and the smaller ones, like the blue one that people see, always seems to default to Beep equals on, and nobody apparently understands how to turn the beep off.  They are loud and distracting.  In addition, the small blue one that's fairly popular doesn't support Increment, so in tournaments that are say, Game in 90 with 30 Second Increment, you are stuck playing flat Game 90 as USCF now made it so that you can't add on time in minutes to the time control simply because your clock doesn't support Increment.

ZMart Clocks - Have you ever seen these things?  Try reading them while the numbers are in motion in the type of lighting seen at typical chess tournaments.  The Blue and Red are bad, but the Green is the worst.  These colored lights are horrible, aboslutely HORRIBLE, on the eyes.  The only digital clock worse than these are the Excalibur.

USCF Excalibur - This is the worst of all clocks.  The Analog clock is better than this piece of junk.  The buttons are loud and clunky when pushed, and because you have to push so hard to get it to snap, it has caused many problems with the LED Display.  If it hits the wrong internal part, the LED lights go haywire, and you have to remember how much time each player had, turn it off, back on, and reset the clocks.  What displays when this happens, and freezes, aren't even numbers.  It's just random LED Lights.

So there you are: Be aware that the DGT North American and the 2010 -- essentially the same clock -- have one common draw back which is one of the reasons *I* don't like them: The "rocker arm" can become "floppy". I hated the feel of it. The Saitek has real push buttons that give you a nice tactile feel, a "rocker arm" tends not to, but  each to thei own.

The only  problem with  all digital clocks (with the exception of the exception of the ZMFII which uses LEDs), all digital clocks use LCD technology, which can be quite finicky. I bought one Chronos II Push button (the long version) in Blue 3-4 years ago. Then a year ago or there about, it seemed that all Chronos models  -- II, and GX, push button and touch  sensor -- were drying up -- so I bought a second Chronos II Push button, this  time  in Black -- the only color on the market at that time -- which now serves as my primary backup in case my Blue clock ever bites the dust. I realized at that time replacing or getting my clock fixed might prove a problem in the future, hence the reason for having a "backup" clock. Call it "insurance". That clock now serves as a "loaner", or as my "Specials" clock -- ie I program special time controls, mostly  tournament  time controls, and use my  Blue clock for skittles. And before you  ask NO, I don't wish to sell my backup clock. While a Chronos is built like a tank and likely to out last me, and will be handed down from one generation to the next, the LCD is the weak point. 

Is the Chronos worth the money?? The answer is YES.. but it is EXPENSIVE. Would I  buy one for my child?? The answer is probably NO, because chess for kids can be a fad, and they may lose interest. So why spend a lot of money on a clock?? Going with a cheaper option such as the Saitek, DGT, or even Escalibur Game Time II, make better sense. The other thing to remember is that kids are tough on clocks, and sometimes forgetful of their equipment. Buying a cheaper clock might better "cents".

My all time favorite clock?? The BHB Special, which is windup, analog clock!!! But without a doubt the Chronos is the digital clock to beat. I just don't know if I'd want to shell out $105 for one, and give it to my kid who might lose or abuse it (though it can withstand quite a bit of abuse -- far more than the Escalibur II or the DGT 2010 / North American). I seriously doubt you'll find a "used" Chronos, and if you do, expect to pay almost as much for a "used" one as you would pay for a NEW one.

Hopefully the comments  that I and other posters helps you in reaching your decsion. Best of luck.

NubeDad,

I would go first with the Chronos as they are the best clocks in the market.

As my second option I would buy the ZMFII. I purchased one and I really like it. For the cost of this digital clock you can't go wrong, easy to use, and a great display!

Then, as my third option I would go with the Saitek Competition. It is a good and reliable chess clock.

Do not buy the USCF Excalibur. It is a really bad clock.

A very sincere thank you to the posters to this thead who provided such detailed evaluations of the different clock brands and models.  My handle "NubeDad" was given to me by my high school age son, a USCF Expert.  Since he consistently beats me in chess, his (affectionate) nickname for me became "Noob".  Hence the handle.  

My son already has one Chronos - a touch sensor model.  He asked me to get him, as a gift, another Chronos - but one with the tactile push buttons.  He explained that tactile buttons are much better when playing Blitz, since the button's physical movement allows the players to keep their eyes on the board as much as possible.  I suspect like AzBobcat, he will use the Tactile Button Chronos (when I find one!) as his primary clock, and he will regulate his current Touch Sensor model to backup duty.

I have been surprised at the universal lack of supply of the original (long) Chronos models.  Many people, including my son (no offense, ThrillerFan), see this clock as the Cadillac of chess timers.  It does appear to me that the Chronos' manufacturer (DCI) gives greater emphasis to the timing needs of Scrabble players rather than chess players.     

Again, thank you all for your responses!

ThrillerFan needs a chill pill or a love pill.

One final note --  not sure it will help, BUT...

The person who makes the Chronos is some guy  by the name  of Sam,  and  he is  a Scrabble player. Besides the Chronos he also  makes something called  a "Sam Timer". The "original Sam Timer" is almost a carbon copy  of the  Chronos II  (The long clock).  What  is the difference between  the  Chronos  II and the Original Sam Timer I have no idea.

You can get  idea here:  http://www.samtimer.com/st-clock.html

And yes they  do  have  them in the Push Button model

asking price: $139.99

What I  do know  is that both  the  Chronos and the Sam Timer can be used -- I  think  -- for both  Chess and Scrabble, though I think the  Sam Timer has one function that is  specific for Scrabble Players that is  absent from the Chronos. Do  some research  on the  Sam Timer, that might be  one way to  get  around  the lack of the Chronos II of any  sort on the market.

Right now that Blue Chronos GX push button from Wholesale Chess  for $105, looks very  attractive.

Hope this  helps.

Choronos --vs-- Sam Timer

Here is the what I  found on "Best Chessmen Ever" http://bestchessmenever.com/blog/files/chronos-chess-timers.html

See statement under August 2012. *IF* correct you should be able to use the Sam Timer the same as Chronos. It says that the  only  difference between the two is that the Sam Timer has a "up counting overtime"  used in Scrabble that  was removed and marketed to chess players and given the mythical name Chronos. Are there other differences?? I have no idea. If you can find a manual for both and compare them side-by-side listing all the modes should answer all your questions.

Hope this  helps.

The guy who runs the chess club I go uses a SamTimer, mainly for blitz games and it works just fine as far as I can tell. I know he plays Scrabble too, so I think he uses the SamTimer for both. He bought his SamTimer several years ago though, so don't know if things have changed since then.

Cardinal 46 - just messaged you. I'm interested in buying one of your push button Chronus if it would work out. Thanks for posting.

Still looking - anyone out there have a used Chronos with push buttons they care to sell?  

OK, so it is NOT the Chronos II (the long version) but the best price I have seen is still at Wholesale Chess for a Chronos GX for $104.99. You can get it (as of today) in BLUE, BLACK, and WHITE.And you had best act FAST as most  dealers are reporting a LIMITED stock which I am sure will dry up fast.

Alternately if it MUST be a Chronos II, your next best option is to get either a Sam Timer or a Chronos II direct from the Sam Timer / Chronos Dealer for $139.99. 

I seriously doubt you'll be able to dig up a "used one", and if you do, I suspect thyat you'l pay almost the same as you would for a NEW GX -- somewhere between $100 - $110 for a USED Chronos II.

I was quite truthful when I told you why I snapped up a second clock when it became apparent the total stock of Chronos II's were drying up a year or two ago.  The Chronos GX is a very popular clock, and used by a lot of blitz players, but dealers are having a hard time keeping them in stock, and most of them are on backorder. I suspect  that whatever is in the pipeline NOW will have dried up within the next week, and then you will be lucky to get a GX at any price. 

Best of luck.

Chronos is awesome I wish I had bought one instead of the junky Saitek I bought to save money. With just 2 buttons Chronos is actually a lot easier to figure out - without RTFM even - than other clocks are with several buttons and lots of tedious and confusing menus that make me wish they were merely "user-unfriendly" instead of being all (expletive deleted) up. And no i'm not some low-tech bozo who is still using a rotary phone and a VCR that flashes "00:00" all the time, I'm a high-tech bozo who has used several different digital chess clocks, and Chronos is the Rolls-Royce of chess clocks IMHO.

Well at least a quick search online seems to indicate a lot of places are still selling them,  in the last year or two there was a forum here about Chronos going out of business and not doing anymore repairs or warranty work. It also looks like a lot of respondents here know quite a bit about Chronos and other leading "name brand" chess clocks.

Anyone who needs (or wants) a chess clock should buy a Chronos if they can afford one! BTW I never replaced my Saitek with a Chronos because I live out in the boonies about the only serious chess I play anymore is online.

NubeDad:

I hope you are still following this thread. I continue to search to see if I can find anyone who might have any Chronos II, Push Button clocks for sale. The answer is NO, BUT...

IF you hold your horses Chesshouse.com has the Chronos II, Push Buttons in Black and White on Back Order. CONTACT THEM DIRECTLY to be put  on an "E-mail Me When in Stock" list. Chesshouse's asking price is $109.99, which is $5.00 more than the Chronos GX. That is a fair price.

Now WHEN will they come in I have no idea, it could be days, it could be months. 

If the primary use of the clock is for Blitz the the Chronos GX is what you want, and it is in stock NOW through many  wholesalers, but the supply is likely to dry up soon; OTOH if it's primary purpose will be a general clock (though the GX would work well as that too) and you really MUST have  a Chronos II, then contact The ChessHouse (Tel. 1-800-348-4749), and get put on  their contact list.

Hope this helps

You can buy push button Chronos clocks from Wholsale Chess.

As predicted, Wholesale Chess has run OUT of the Chronos GX and has no idea when the next batch will come in.

Here's the announcement:

Just came across this elsewhere here on chess.com. The Information about Wholesale Chess is OUT OF DATE as they have Zero Chronos clocks available, but may answer WHY  none can be found. Hope this helps.

Chronos Chess Clock

• MatthewUT
• | Jul 9, 2013 at 10:54 AM
• | Posted in: MatthewUT's Blog

 Are you having trouble finding a Chronos Clock to purcahse?  Recently DCI Game Clocks has moved their production facility which has casued a delay in production.  They hope to be back up soon.