Whether or not you’re an avid chess player, you’ve probably seen the odd scene in a movie or TV program where a pair of competitors face each other over a board with a clock between them. If you wanted to get into the timed version of this ancient game, a variety of suitable devices are available. Few, however, have the brilliant raw electronic styling of the Game Clock from seller Omzlo.
It features a pair of 4-digit 7-segment displays to keep track of time, as well as a buzzer for audio feedback. A pair of snap-action microswitches hand off the game time to the opposing player. An ATmega328PB microcontroller along with a RTC module is used for control, and it features an XBee socket for optional wireless networking.
Everything is laid out of a black circuit board behind a piece of clear acrylic, giving it such a cool look that you may be tempted to find a justification for this gadget whether or not you play chess. If that sounds like you, the good news is that it’s open-source and can be programmed with an FTDI breakout, making it capable of alternate uses.
It can also display the current time for those times when you’re not playing board games. If, however, you only care about what time it is, you might also consider the MSP430 Nixie clock, seen here.
