Customer Reviews

Game Time II Chess Timer

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Excalibur is a company that is known for making high quality chess gear. This small clock has all the functions you will need and it is the official clock of the U.S. Chess Federation. This certainly adds to it's marketing appeal, but also to the price for what you get.

Some of the plus features of the clock are a time delay for between moves that gives you a little time to get to your button, a large button to push that is easy to find in the heat of the moment and many presets for various types of game conditions. It's small size also allows it to fit well into a small bag or Excalibur's excellent canvas bag, triple weight chess piece and vinyl board combination. (This other product is excellent and an extremely good value.)

While I think this is an excellent clock, it is rather cheap looking and doesn't seem very rugged. The first one I bought had some loose parts inside and I had to return it. I don't know if this is a reflection on quality assurance, manufactoring or just a fluke, but I saw a lot of other clocks that seemed more rugged for about the same amount of money.

Why I personally chose this clock is because of Excalibur's reputation for high quality chess electronics, it's small size, the large buttons, the time delay between moves and the fact that is fits exactly into the compartment of my chess travel case. I rated it a 4 because I think it's overpriced for what it is. If it's not important to have the official clock of the UCSF and you don't play fast games, then you may want to look at what other products are available.

There is a lot to like about an Excalibur chess clock: it is inexpensive, it has lots of functions, and it is very easy to learn how to use it.

First off, the price: you can buy three of these clocks for the price of a Chronos, but then you get what you pay for. Most of the guys in my chess club have Chronos clocks and I also have two that I have had for years. Yet, I have never even heard of a Chronos clock that failed. These Excalibur clocks, on the other hand, definitely have a limited lifespan.
A lot of players start out with an Excalibur clock, but sooner or later the clock breaks down and then they buy a different kind of clock.

Personally, my main peeve with the Excalibur is that I really dislike the buttons on it. The problem is that the button movement is not completely smooth and therefore it is possible to hit a button in such a way that it does not go down all the way and then you have to hit it again (this is extremely annoying when you are playing blitz). Other than the buttons, the problem is that these clocks are flimsy and do not take well to jostling.

Still, if you just want a clock for occasional use, and if you are looking for something cheap and functional, this clock is your best bet.

There is a lot to like about an Excalibur chess clock: it is inexpensive, it has lots of functions, and it is very easy to learn how to use it.

First off, the price: you can buy three of these clocks for the price of a Chronos, but then you get what you pay for. Most of the guys in my chess club have Chronos clocks and I also have two that I have had for years. Yet, I have never even heard of a Chronos clock that failed. These Excalibur clocks, on the other hand, definitely have a limited lifespan.
A lot of players start out with an Excalibur clock, but sooner or later the clock breaks down and then they buy a different kind of clock.

Personally, my main peeve with the Excalibur is that I really dislike the buttons on it. The problem is that the button movement is not completely smooth and therefore it is possible to hit a button in such a way that it does not go down all the way and then you have to hit it again (this is extremely annoying when you are playing blitz). Other than the buttons, the problem is that these clocks are flimsy and do not take well to jostling.

Still, if you just want a clock for occasional use, and if you are looking for something cheap and functional, this clock is your best bet.

I bought one of these because I thought it looked cool and it was cheap, but as soon as I took it out of the box I knew I had made a mistake. The buttons were flimsy and the quality of the clock's plastic was terrible. I put in some batteries and one of the buttons didn't even work. That same day I packed it up and returned it. A month later I purchased a Chronos for $40 more and have been happy ever since.

I own Chronos Clock and this Clock. Chronos is more durable. No contest there. But this clock is so much easier for me to use than Chronos. I have the Chronos clock sitting in my book shelf at this time. This clock and the way you set it is just so easy. I do not agree with the guy who said this clock is complex. It is so easy to set it is a joy.

Works great and there are plenty of time options on it, but poorly constructed. My Excalibur broke and it does not take much for the plastic to break due to its flimsy construction. If you can handle it with much care, for the price, it's not a bad clock, but nonetheless I might recommend getting a more durable clock which you're going to do anyways due to fact that it is so fragile and will likely to break.

My nephew was really excited about this chess timer. He said it had everything he needed. I price shopped it from about 5 sources, and this was the best price at $24.99.

Product has a bit of learning curve, not very intuitive. But when you understand those details, product is great, especially if you are a chess addict like me!!

4 AA Batteries have an incredible life time, if you want to protect your product make sure you remove those batteries if your product is not going to be used for a long time to avoid those nasty leakages

In my opinion, this is the best digital clock design on the market and, fortuitously, among the most affordable. It's low profile, large buttons and large display make it ideal for effortless tournament play.

Don't throw away your instructions for this great timer. While you can set it for just about anything, it's involved enough that (unless you are using it very regularly) you can easily forget how to use some of the more esoteric functions.

Ok value for the price I paid, but I might have gone with something simpler had I known!