The first cuckoo clocks were primitive compared to those made later. Their movements were made with wooden plates and gears. Many of the clocks had square faces painted with water color paints. As time went on, the clocks became more and more sophisticated in their designs and decorations. The birds' wings and beaks were animated and some decorated with feathers. The many themes decorating the clocks were only limited to the imagination of the painters of the faces for the clocks. They included scenes of family, hunting, military motifs and more. Some were even decorated with porcelain columns and enameled dials.

Some of the famous early cuckoo clock makers in the Black Forest were Theodore Ketterer, Johann Baptist Beha and Fidel Hepting.

By the late 1800s the cuckoo industry was some what industrialized. As well as factories where the clocks where made and assembled, Families would live and work together in large cottages, each individual working on the part of the clock they specialized in. Some carved the decorations, others assembling the movement and still others fitting movements in the cases. There were an estimated 13,500 men and women engaged in the clock making industry in the villages in and around Triberg.

THE CUCKOO BIRD

The Cuckoo can be found in Africa, Asia and Northern Europe. They are slim bodied and are about 13 inches in length. They have a blue-grey head, breast and upper parts, and horizontal barring on the under parts. However, the female also exists as a rare rufous (reddish) morph, so instead of being grey it is red-brown. They never build a nest, preferring instead to lay their eggs in the nests of other birds who unwittingly raise the cuckoo fledglings as their own.

CUCKOO CLOCK INFORMATION

Cuckoo Clocks -
There are 2 main styles of Cuckoo Clocks, Traditional and Chalet Style.
Traditional style clocks feature handcarved animals, leaves, and hunting scenes. Chalet style clocks are shaped like homes in the Black Forest region.

Unpacking & setup of your Cuckoo Clock -
When your new cuckoo clock arrives, read all of the setup instructions first. Please follow the steps in the enclosed instructions and handle the cuckoo clock with care at all times. See our Cuckoo Clock Setup Instructions section online too for help! See our Cuckoo Clock Help guide to answer your troubleshooting questions too! You can contact us at anytime with any questions you may have! We are here to help!

Cuckoo Clock Manufacturers-
Our premier manufacturers include:
Hones, Romba & Haas, Hubert Herr, Schneider, Engstler, Harzer, and Schwer.

Cuckoo Clock Styles-
Each cuckoo clock is hand crafted which makes them so unique and desireable. No two clocks are exactly the same. Your actual cuckoo clock may vary slightly from the images online but the basic style and nominal size will remain the same. Prices, sizes, colors and styles are subject to change without notice.

Cuckoo Clock Linden Wood-
Linden wood is a soft wood which has short fibers. The soft wood and short fibers allow for the production of well-shaped and smooth surfaced cuckoo clocks during the hand-carving.

Cuckoo Clock Measurement -
Dimensional height of the Cuckoo Clocks are measured from the top of the clocks carving to the bottom carving or case. Cuckoo Clock measurements do not include the weights.

Manual Night Shut-Off Switch -
Many Mechanical Cuckoo Clocks come with a manual night shut-off switch that you can turn on at night not to hear the cuckoo call if you wish. Even with cuckoo clocks without a manual night shut off switch you can always close the cuckoo door to stop the cuckoo call in the evening if you wish.

1 Day Cuckoo Clocks -
1 Day Cuckoo Clocks need to be wound by pulling up the weights each day. The cuckoo calls once on the half hour and the full hour the number of hours. Many Cuckoo Clocks have a night shut-off switch.

1 Day Musical Cuckoo Clocks -
1 Day Musical Cuckoo Clocks need to be wound by pulling up the weights each day. The cuckoo calls once on the half hour and the full hour the number of hours. Most of the 1 day musical cuckoo clocks play music after the half hour call. The musical cuckoo clocks usually play two songs. Many Cuckoo clocks have a night shut-off switch.

8 Day Cuckoo Clocks -
8 Day Cuckoo Clocks need to be wound by pulling up the weights every 8 days. The cuckoo calls once on the half hour and the full hour the number of hours. Many Cuckoo clocks have a night shut-off switch.

8 Day Musical Cuckoo Clocks -
8 Day Musical Cuckoo Clocks needs to be wound by pulling up the weights every 8 days. The cuckoo calls once on the half hour and the full hour the number of hours. The 8 day musical cuckoo clocks play music after the full hour call. The musical cuckoo clocks usually play 2 or 3 songs. Many Cuckoo clocks have a night shut-off switch.

Quartz Cuckoo Clocks -
Quartz Cuckoo Clocks are operated by batteries.
The weights do not need to be pulled up every day or every 8 days. The cuckoo calls on the hour. Quartz cuckoo clocks come with chains, weights, and volume control. Most of the Quartz Black Forest Clocks (under 8") take 1 to 2 "AA" Batteries. Most of the Quartz Black Forest Cuckoo Clocks usually take 2 to 3 "C" Batteries. Battery Operated Clocks have an electric eye & are silent when their is no light (off at night).

Difference between 1 Day movement and 8 Day movement -
Cuckoo Clocks with a 1 Day Movement have to be wound each day.
Cuckoo Clocks with 8 Day Movement have to be wound each week.

Wind Up Clocks -
Wind-up clocks are wound with a key and last between 24-30 hours.

All of our cuckoo clocks are Imported &
Hand Carved from the Black Forest Region of Germany.