Clock - Wood, Glass - 1960-1970 - Chess clock
08
days
15
hours
08
minutes
54
seconds
Starting bid
€ 1
No reserve price
Expert
Selected by Michel Karis
Art historian with extensive experience working at various auction houses in antiques.
Estimate € 150 - € 200
No bids placed
Catawiki Buyer Protection
Your payment’s safe with us until you receive your object.View details
Trustpilot 4.4 | 140355 reviews
Rated Excellent on Trustpilot.
Vintage Hungarian mechanical chess clock from 1960–1970, with a light wooden case, glass fronts and chrome bezels, two wind-up movements, a 1‑day power reserve and side levers, in good condition and in working order.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Vintage Hungarian Mechanical Chess Clock, 1960s-1970s
A particularly attractive mechanical chess clock (attributed to) MOM, Magyar Optikai Művek, Budapest, dating from the 1960s-1970s.
The clock is housed in a beautifully simple light wooden case, its softly rounded upper corners giving the piece a surprisingly elegant appearance. Two large circular clock faces sit within projecting chrome-plated metal bezels, creating a strong contrast between warm wood, polished metal and the crisp graphic dials.
Each clock has its own mechanical wind-up movement, with the characteristic red tournament flag positioned near twelve o’clock. The two clocks are operated by the unusually discreet metal levers set into either side of the wooden case: pressing one stops that player’s clock while setting the opponent’s in motion. This side-lever arrangement is particularly characteristic of MOM chess clocks.
MOM, short for Magyar Optikai Művek, was an important Hungarian manufacturer of precision optical and mechanical instruments based in Budapest. The company developed its chess clocks during the 1950s, and they subsequently became familiar equipment in chess clubs and tournaments throughout Hungary and elsewhere in Europe.
A lovely piece of mid-century functional design: compact, beautifully proportioned and instantly recognisable as an object from the pre-digital world of tournament chess.
The clock is in good vintage condition with minor age-related signs of use and is in working order.
Dimensions: H 11 × W 23 × D 5 cm | H 4.3 × W 9.1 × D 2.0 in
Seller's Story
Studio Eklektik (est. 2023) is a Dutch online gallery specialising in Dutch Art Deco, modernist antiques, and eclectic design, lighting and objects.
We are drawn to pieces that do more than furnish a space: objects with history in their grain, atmosphere in their silhouette and a certain drama in the way they catch the light. The emphasis is on Dutch Art Deco, especially Amsterdam School and Hague School design, but our eye is deliberately eclectic. We curate across categories and era's, but never without direction: every object has to bring something to the room, whether through form, craftsmanship, history or atmosphere.
We ship worldwide. For purchases in auction, buyers may also choose pick-up, after which we can provide our best shipping quote at cost price. For multiple purchases or larger objects, we can offer professionally crated shipment on request.
Translated by Google TranslateVintage Hungarian Mechanical Chess Clock, 1960s-1970s
A particularly attractive mechanical chess clock (attributed to) MOM, Magyar Optikai Művek, Budapest, dating from the 1960s-1970s.
The clock is housed in a beautifully simple light wooden case, its softly rounded upper corners giving the piece a surprisingly elegant appearance. Two large circular clock faces sit within projecting chrome-plated metal bezels, creating a strong contrast between warm wood, polished metal and the crisp graphic dials.
Each clock has its own mechanical wind-up movement, with the characteristic red tournament flag positioned near twelve o’clock. The two clocks are operated by the unusually discreet metal levers set into either side of the wooden case: pressing one stops that player’s clock while setting the opponent’s in motion. This side-lever arrangement is particularly characteristic of MOM chess clocks.
MOM, short for Magyar Optikai Művek, was an important Hungarian manufacturer of precision optical and mechanical instruments based in Budapest. The company developed its chess clocks during the 1950s, and they subsequently became familiar equipment in chess clubs and tournaments throughout Hungary and elsewhere in Europe.
A lovely piece of mid-century functional design: compact, beautifully proportioned and instantly recognisable as an object from the pre-digital world of tournament chess.
The clock is in good vintage condition with minor age-related signs of use and is in working order.
Dimensions: H 11 × W 23 × D 5 cm | H 4.3 × W 9.1 × D 2.0 in
Seller's Story
Studio Eklektik (est. 2023) is a Dutch online gallery specialising in Dutch Art Deco, modernist antiques, and eclectic design, lighting and objects.
We are drawn to pieces that do more than furnish a space: objects with history in their grain, atmosphere in their silhouette and a certain drama in the way they catch the light. The emphasis is on Dutch Art Deco, especially Amsterdam School and Hague School design, but our eye is deliberately eclectic. We curate across categories and era's, but never without direction: every object has to bring something to the room, whether through form, craftsmanship, history or atmosphere.
We ship worldwide. For purchases in auction, buyers may also choose pick-up, after which we can provide our best shipping quote at cost price. For multiple purchases or larger objects, we can offer professionally crated shipment on request.
Translated by Google TranslateDetails
Era
1900-2000
Title additional information
Chess clock
Number of objects
1
Material
Glass, Wood
Clock mechanism
Mechanical
Power reserve
1 day movement
Striking
Not striking
Country of origin
Hungary
Condition
Good condition - used with small signs of ageing
In working order
Yes
Height
11 cm
Width
23 cm
Depth
5 cm
Estimated period
1960-1970
Weight
700 g
