About Antique Cuckoo Clocks

History

• Franz Anton Ketterer was credited with making the first working cuckoo clock in 1730. He got the cuckoo sound to work by imitating the sound of church organs, but on a smaller scale. In the winter, the land in the Black Forest part of Germany was covered with snow. Agriculture was not an option, and making clocks brought income, thus the making of cuckoo clocks was born from necessity.

Function

• There were traditional or chalet-style cuckoo clocks made. These were the wooden case type with carved leaves and animals around the clock face and body. Cuckoo clocks were made to hang on a wall. The clock was controlled by weights, not a spring mechanism. The weight is what makes the cuckoo clock obtain its distinctiveness over other types of clocks, aside from the calling sound of the cuckoo, and cuckoo in general.

Significance

• The weights are sometimes part of the design with hanging pine-cones being a popular theme. There are three movements of antique cuckoo clocks. A one day, 30 hour, or an eight day movement. The melody on an eight day clock will sound on full hours only. The clocks have winding mechanisms. Eight day clocks are generally wound every eight days, and one day clocks are wound every day.

Types

• In the mid 19th century, architect Friedrich Eisenlohr made a cuckoo clock in the shape of a small house. This style of clock is known as Bahnhäusle, and is the most commonly recognized cuckoo clock design. All cuckoo clocks were decoratively carved. The clocks were also good time-keeping pieces, due to the skilled clock makers from the Black Forest region.

Swiss Cuckoo Clocks

• The Swiss were a close second in superior cuckoo clock making. They made music box cuckoo clocks, which played a tune every half hour. On the Swiss clocks, the cuckoos would move when the music box began to play. Sometimes there was a small soldier, animal, ballerina or figural person in place of a cuckoo bird.

Value

• Prices for antique cuckoo clocks are in the thousands. Some very ornate and large clocks fetch over $10,000. Both German and Swiss cuckoo clocks are sought after by collectors.