The Apex Chess Clock Timer is a great analog chess clock to have in your home both for practice and as a cool decoration.
If you’re reading this, you’re probably on the lookout for a chess clock to help you improve your chess playing skills. Not surprising, since these handy timers have been proven to increase a player’s calculation speed and chess tempo through playing under time pressure.
You’ll find a lot of chess clocks being sold on the Internet and in physical shops. To know what features are most desirable and which models have them, follow our series of articles which discuss some of the most popular chess clock models.
Today, we’ll be talking about the Apex Chess Clock Timer.
Features
- Made of real wood giving it a retro look
- 100% mechanical, no batteries required
- Precise to the second timer
Quick Specs
- Battery: not required
- Dimensions: 7.4” x 4.7” x 3.1”
- Clock Type: Analog
- Main Material: Wood
Back in the day, before digital chess clocks became widely popular, analog chess clocks ruled the tournaments and adorned the tables of chess masters.
These old school clocks are entirely mechanical and are equipped with a sort of flag which signify a player’s time expiration. Time is stopped physically by the pressing of a button similar to ones found in digital models.
Analog chess clocks have fallen out of popularity in the past decades as digital chess clocks were deemed to be more reliable, accurate and flexible to use especially at international tournaments. But this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try out an analog clock for your personal use.
The Apex Chess Clock Timer is a great analog chess clock to have in your home both for practice and as a cool decoration.
As with all analog clocks, the Apex chess clock is 100% mechanical and doesn’t require batteries to operate. This can be a good thing as you won’t have to worry about it giving up on you midplay. However, you should also know that analogs aren’t immune to broken parts.
The clock’s body and base are made of real wood. Its larger base is designed to prevent the clock from tipping over when a player gets a little too excited when hitting the clock’s buttons to beat time.
It features two large clock displays each with a red hand to make time tracking easier. The two buttons on top of each physically stop and start the clock within when tapped or hit by a player. This is how time tracking is done with analog chess clocks. The timer is set by winding up both clock displays to the desired time increments.
Unfortunately, analog chess clocks like the Apex Chess Clock Timer can’t accommodate more complex time controls that modern chess players might need.
It’s not surprising that it’s older chess players who preferred to buy this chess clock. They particularly liked the product’s retro look and the simplicity of using it. However, younger chess players would probably prefer a digital chess clock over analog ones for convenience and versatility.
Pros
- Attractive retro aesthetic
- Easy set up
- Sturdy build
- Doesn’t require batteries
Cons
- Can’t be used for complex time increments