Description
Vintage Jaques Congress Chess Timer.
offered her is the extremely rare Vintage Jaques Congress Chess Timer, originally known as the Jaques Timing Clock. This mechanical analog Jaques Congress Chess Timer features the original single wind-up movement with a planetary gear set to independently start and stop each player’s clock. As was typical for the earliest game timers, the clock lacks the flag, indicating time-control exceedance. The clock faces use Roman Numerals. The timer measures 12″ wide x 7″ tall x 4″ deep. This design predates the timers using two wind-up movements.
The clock is actuated by pressing one of the two top-mounted buttons, which advances the hands for one player while stopping the hands of the opponent’s clock. The movement is stopped by rotating the brass handle atop the clock. This is the earliest known configuration of these Congress Timers and dates to around 1895. Later versions featured a different locking design, two independent movements, and a flag on each face.
The purpose of the flag is to indicate time control exceedance. The flag is lifted by the minute hand and dropped when it reaches the “XII”, signaling the end of one hour of play and forfeiture for the player whose flag ad fallen. For a 5-minute game, the minute hand is set to the “XI” position. For a 10-minute fame, the minute hand is set at the “X” position, and so forth. Games with time controls exceeding one hour require manually keeping track of how many times a player’s flag had fallen – a problem solved by later Digital game timers, like the first fully programmable time-delay and increment GameTime clock patented in 1992 by Frank Camaratta.
This Jaques Congress Chess Timer has an engraved brass maker’s plaque mounted near the top of the clock face (that plaque was moved to a position below the clock bezels on later Jaques Congress Timers). The brass plaque reads “Jaques Congress Chess Timer” and “Jaques & Son, London“. Also affixed to this clock face is an ivory plaque noting that it was the property of the North Manchester Chess Club and dated 1901. This Jaques Congress Chess Timer housing is in excellent condition, and the movement is in good working order. As with any clock of this vintage, the mechanism should be cleaned and adjusted by a competent antiquarian clock restorer. These Chess Clocks were used in many clubs and could be found in use at major tournaments of all levels throughout the pre-WWII era.
Background.
Thomas Bright Wilson (1843-1915) of Manchester is generally credited with the invention of the first chess clock, which was used for the great London international tournament of 1883. The first patent for a clock was issued in 1884 to Amandus Schierwater of Liverpool. Flags were first proposed in 1899 by H.D.B. Meijer of the Netherlands. Note: In the early days of clocks, overstepping the time limit was not equivalent to losing a game. Claiming a win was considered unsporting. It was used to encourage a player to speed up their moves.
The Jaques “Chess Timing Clock” was introduced in the 1890s. The January 1898 British Chess Magazine had an advertisement for 21 shillings which lacked a locking lever. Another design for 24 shillings featured a rotating Locking arm located at the top of this clock. This stopped the mechanism by pressing on the escapement. Both timers were advertised for a few years, after which, only the clock with the locking lever was advertised, along with renaming the clock the Congress Chess Timer. The British Chess Magazine ran the ad until 1919, always using the same illustration. .
The timing mechanisms we remanufactured by H.A.C. (HAMBURG AMERICAN CLOCK Co., 1883-1929). The company was founded in 1883 by Paul Landenberger from an earlier partnership of Landenberger and Lang. This German company produced domestic clocks of all types. In 1892 the firm registered the Crossed Arrows Trademark, which can be seen on the Jaques dial. The company was involved in the production of clock movements, clock parts, dials, and cases for all types of clocks. Most of these products were sold to the trade as they were not in the business of selling finished clocks. Jaques would have bought in the movements (the works) from H.A.C. and had them assembled into their branded chess clocks. The rival Tanner chess clock also had movements from H.A.C.