We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Home

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What are Cuckoo Clocks?

By S. Mithra
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 8,505
Share

Cuckoo clocks, resembling chalet houses, use weights and a pendulum to keep time and sound out a cuckoo's call every hour through bellows. These carved, collectible clocks originated in the Black Forest region of Germany where talents of carpenters and clock makers combined to form the distinctive timepieces. Most cuckoo clocks have folksy mechanical parts, such as a bird popping out from a window or a lumberjack chopping at a tree.

During the long, snowy winters in the Black Forest of the 17th century, people could no longer farm, cut timber, or trade. In a striking convergence of different crafts, the knowledge of gear-driven clock making met the intricate carving of carpenters. Clocks, filtering around Europe, were just beginning to replace sundials as accurate methods of determining the time of day.

The first cuckoo clocks were created by Franz Ketterer in 1738 when he attempted to impersonate the distinctive two-tone call of the local cuckoo bird using bellows, rather than bells or chimes. He mounted the innards on a miniature, ornate wooden house looking like the surrounding chalets and thus began a long tradition of crafting cuckoo clocks in the region.

One can still find antique cuckoo clocks from the Black Forest, but more commonly encountered are the modernized versions that use quartz crystals or springs to keep time. Original cuckoo clocks have connected hanging weights, usually in the form of brown pine cones. Over the course of a week, one weight lowers and the other rises, turning the internal mechanisms. To "wind" the clock, you return the highest weight to its lowest position.

Of course, the most notable feature of cuckoo clocks are sunny birds and their accompanying call. On the hour, and sometimes half hour, an upper window in the chalet bursts open, allowing a tiny bird to jolt out and chirp the proper number of notes to announce the time. Other mechanized parts may also surge into activity, such as two lumberjacks sawing a log, a farmer woman churning butter, a dog chasing a squirrel, a blacksmith hammering an anvil, or a lover appearing at a window for a serenade.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/what-are-cuckoo-clocks.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.