Traditional Cuckoo Clock
The story of Traditional Cuckoo Clocks dates back to 1640, when the first mechanical clock was made on a local farm close to our premises. It was a very rough time for villagers in the Black Forest. Winters were very harsh and cold, temperatures would drop down to -30°C (-22°F) and snow would pile up 2-3m (6-8 ft.) high. Since the Black Forest was mainly a farming community, farmers didn´t have much to do when it got too cold, therefore they started making simple wooden clocks and hand-carved wooden figurines during the wintertime. In the summer, someone from the family would go to German marketplaces and try to sell their handiwork for extra income.
At the beginning, they would make simpler clocks with easy degsigns, not incorporating the cuckoo bird for some time.
Traditional Cuckoo Clock
Style Change and the Cuckoo Bird
Owning a clock started becoming more popular and affordable over the centuries, and villagers who were making clocks started thinking about improvements to their designs.
They started painting large wooden plates that would later decorate the front of the clock to make them more appealing to buyers. Those plates would also hide inner workings and protect them from outer effects such as dust and heat.
Because there were so many cuckoo birds in the Black Forest, they decided to incorporate the bird and its song in their clocks.
The idea was to make the cuckoo call once every half an hour, and more often on the full hour, depending on what time it was (i.e. 7 o´clock – 7 times).
The cuckoo clock resonated well with clock buyers and became famous worldwide.
Traditional Cuckoo Clock
Present
Nowadays, traditional cuckoo clocks are found in different styles, such as;
1 day / 8 day windig time, musical / non musical, chalet / traditional style, modern outstanding design, and with a quartz battery operated movement.
With technological developments, quality and possibilities have also grown.
Mechanical movements are more durable and are made of brass and stainless steal to prevent any rusting and outer influence. Pendulums have a precise adjusting mechanism, acoustics are improved and cuckoo whistles are almost 10 times more durable compared to the old ones.
German Quartz movements became attractive for people who would like to have their cuckoo clocks without the inconvenicence of winding them.
German cuckoo clock prices vary to fit different budgets. Price strictly depends on carved style, details, the amount of time spent in making one, features, and painting. To make it easier for our customers, we have implemented a flat shipping rate of €42,50 no matter the amount or weight of the products you buy.
