Submitted: ALL Gizmo’s (a gizmo being ANY electronic device) should be eradicated from the playing hall.
If this rule had been in effect, GM Nigel Short would not have been forfeited when his cell phone, which was turned OFF, beeped.
Any player using any kind of ‘Gizmo’ while playing a game of chess leaves open the possibility of impropriety. The only alternative is ‘naked chess.’
Perish the thought…
Back to Analog clocks?
The best chess clock ever made was a Jerger!
Are those even made still?
I never owned one, and never met anybody that used it either.
I treasure mine…
Personally, I liked my Heuer but I’d take my digital clock any day. The Heuer had some nice features, like the “no slip” design for the flag and the large, smoothly operating buttons (after they fixed the “popping off” problem), and the metal case. The Chronos II is my favorite clock right now, though. In addition to the all the features of a digital clock (delay or increment, multiple time controls that can be programmed in, etc.), I like the touch sensitive buttons – they pretty well discourage opponents from pounding on the buttons with a captured chess piece! 
Now if we could just get more organizers using a large increment instead of a short delay…
I don’t know if they are still made but mine is working fine with weekly use into its third decade.
– and one not-so-nice feature: The flag was so small, and so close to the hand, that it was difficult to see whether the flag had fallen.
Bill Smythe
I never had any problem. Of course, I was younger then.
I still think it’s easier than reading most digital clocks.
Compared to the BHB clocks of the day, the flag was a BIG improvement. I’ve seen WAY too many of the flags on those BHB clocks slip away from the face of the clock and slide past the minute hand – dropping way before (or worse, just before) the clock reached the 6:00 mark.
I also own a Jerger clock and it is 25+ years old and it still works like a charm!!
After getting used to digital clocks, I’d never go back. I wouldn’t mind getting an INSA Wooden Mechanical Clock, just because it looks nice, and would really compliment my ebony/boxwood chess set w/Drueke board. There isn’t anything ardently wrong with mechanical clocks, but most people now are so used to digital, using one would be more of a “going down memory lane” type reason.
In a tournament, the TD should keep at least one spare mechanical clock in case someone with vision problems requests it.
http://www.houseofstaunton.com/Store/category=Chess+Clocks&exact_match=on
No offense intended, but people with disabilities should furnish their own equipment and should also request any special accomodations in advance. It’s not fair to a TD to expect him to make spur of the moment adjustments or to furnish his own equipment for players to use.
That’s what the “vintage” BHB clock in my TD box is for… 
And after getting used to the MonRoi, I’d never go back to paper and pencil.
In a perfect world, thats the Shangra-la vision of how a tournament will run. In reality, I’ve never been to a tournament that ran without any hitches.
As far as special accomodations, yes, a person with a disability should notify the TD in advance. But keeping a spare mechanical clock isn’t asking too much, since in a larger tournament, its very common to get players that doing thier first tournament and don’t own any chess equipment at all. In the case of vision, its only prudent, since many people have problems with vision, and the older player (who never used a chess clock before), might realise he or she can’t read a digital clock only after they sits down to play for the first time.
I can read the display on a Chronos a lot better then I can read the display on a BHB analog clock. Without reading glasses it’s almost impossible for me to see how close I am to 6:00. On a Chronos I don’t need reading glasses to see the display.
Filling in the player info on my Mon Roi without reading glasses that’s a whole different story! Squint city!
I took my information from another post a while back (don’t remember who posted it). He said that he ran a tournament one time and that someone with vision problems requested a mechanical clock.
Blind players use a mechanical clock, but it’s a specially designed clock. It looks like a regular Jerger clock, but there is no glass on the faces. I believe there is braille next to numerals, and the flag makes a very loud clicking sound when it drops. Blind players generally provide their own clock, because this not the sort of mechanical clock a TD will have sitting in their equipment case.
The USCF quartz clock is a nice analog clock because it has a big face, and it’s easy to read the numerals. I’m sure for players with vision problems the black on white contrast is easier on the eyes then the black on gray read out on most digital clocks.
And me … 
Watches that run on batteries?
Hearing aids? Portable oxygen concentrators? TENS units? Battery powered wheelchairs?
Cameras / Videocameras?
Obvious objections aside, I have to say that I enjoy listening to music via MP3 player while I play. I use in-ear earbuds at a low enough volume that the music doesn’t ‘bleed’ out. I also have a wraparound pair of headphones if at any point someone wants to confirm it’s actually music I’m playing. It harms nobody and enhances my enjoyment of the game. So what’s the problem?
So I’m in favor of allowing all “gizmos” into the playing hall so long as they are not being used to cheat and don’t disturb playing in the hall. (Oh, and in Short’s case, if he did switch the unit off it may not be fair to forfeit him, depending on how annoying the sound was - but it is the player’s responsibility to make sure that any “gizmos” are under control.)
I believe this is one of those things where casual/club players may have different expectations from intermediate tournament through titled level players. I could see there being a simple TLA clarification that no possession of electronic devices will be allowed. (I know I’ve seen TLAs where it talks about no MP3 players in higher level rounds where prizes are at stake.) But an outright ban as above wouldn’t enhance tournament attendance or chessplaying, IMVHO.