Vintage Allan Troy Chess Clock-Sutton Coldfield CHESS clock Space Age #2 50/50

Description: Because of stay-at-home orders in Arizona and the problems it creates, we are lengthening our shipping time window to 20 business days. We regret the inconvenience and hope to return to ten days in the near future. The name "B.H. Wood" should be engraved on the heart of every British chess player. Part of the legendary 1939 Chess Olympiad team, they were playing in the Buenos Aires Olympiad when the Second World War broke out. They dropped out of the tournament and boarded ship for Britain, where several of them, B.H. Wood included, went to work at Bletchley Park, the famous code-breaking center. But Wood is remembered for his chess entrepreneurship. In the depths of the Great Depression, he launched CHESS, a monthly chess magazine to rival British Chess Magazine, much the way Al Horowitz launched Chess Review in the U.S. to rival Chess Life, the publication of the U.S. Chess Federation. Wood published, played in tournaments, and sold equipment. As no major clock-maker would manufacture chess clocks, Wood often bought alarm clocks and modified them into chess clocks--minus the alarm bells, of course. This clock on offer here is his last, best, most innovative design. The flag is designed so that as it moves upward from five minutes to the hour, it counts off each minute on the hashmarks on the white field to the right; at one minute, the flag descends, counting off the quarter-minutes until it drops. The flags on these clocks work exactly as designed. I have put both clocks through bench tests and I can report they keep accurate time. We are offering here a second of these clocks; it is not as young-looking as its sister we have for sale(eBay item number:155148597435). It is missing one screw on the back, but that does not affect the clock's function. Also, this clock's right-hand movement is a little quick: after it runs for about 10 to 12 hours it starts to pick up about 15 seconds an hour. If you want to use it for tournament play, wind it up. With these older, mechanical, spring-driven beauties, it is a good idea to exhaust both clock movements when you are through using them. Most chess players are in the bad habit of leaving their clocks wound for months or years, which takes a toll on them. Wood's design proved too futuristic, and it never caught on. Only a few hundred were ever made, and most of them today are in poor condition. We offer here a new-old stock clock. Because of changes in the rules of U.S. Chess Federation, this clock, like all analog clocks, are now disfavored but still legal. This clock is primarily a mantelpiece clock. While we have never had this happen with any of our clocks, because of the vagaries of shipping, I cannot guarantee that the clock will run when it arrives. Compare this beauty to her sisters we have for sale: eBay item number: 155159956268 and eBay item number:155148597435 If you get this clock, bring your friends over for a night of port and cheese, sing "Rue Britannia," and drink the memory of B.H. Wood, a friend of all chess players. Follow us! This is only one of several old collectible clocks that we will be selling in the coming weeks. We combine shipping! To combine, place all your purchases in the shopping cart and press "proceed to checkout." These volumes come from the private library of Allan Troy, late owner of Troy's Chess Shoppe, Torrance, California. Follow us! We have an ongoing sale of 18th, 19th, 20th, and 21st century chess books, sets and clocks!

Price: 240 USD

Location: Tubac, Arizona

End Time: 2024-02-08T04:23:10.000Z

Shipping Cost: 5 USD