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About Cuckoo Clock
About Us
If you want to buy a Cuckoo Clock, https://www.CuckooClock.com.my is the right place for you to be, this website is wholly owned subsidiary of Rocket Internet. We are also the specialists for repairing the Black Forest Cuckoo Clocks. Here is how it all began…
In cooperation with some of the most renowned Black Forest clock manufacturers https://www.CuckooClock.com.my offers Original German Black Forest cuckoo clocks and shield clocks.
The cuckoo clocks manufacturers include the workshops of Anton Schneider, Rombach & Haas - Romba Clocks, Hekas, Trenkle, August Schwer and Hubert Herr.
You will find many beautiful Chalet Cuckoo Clocks, wonderful Alpine House clocks, impressive Black Forest House cuckoo clocks and traditionally carved cuckoo clocks - all hand carved in the Black Forest. All the traditionally handmade shield clocks / wall clocks are hand painted. Our mechanical cuckoo clocks with 1-day movement and the comfortable 8-day movement come with the VDS Certificate of Authenticity. The VDS is the Association of the Black Forest Clock Industry that issues certificates only to Original German Black Forest clocks that have a mechanical movement / clockwork and have been produced in the Black Forest in Southern Germany.
Quartz cuckoo clocks are also produced by our manufacturers but do not receive the VDS certificate because they do not have the traditional mechanical clockwork. An Original Black Forest cuckoo clock is always the right choice. A cuckoo clock stands for century long clock making tradition, German quality and Original German craftsmanship.
Cuckoo Clock History
The true origins of cuckoo clocks are shrouded in mystery.
The idea for the development of the Black Forest Cuckoo Clock was probably brought to the area through glass salesmen from Strasburg. In the famous artistical Strasburger cathedral clock, a rooster crows every hour to announce the hour time. In any case, around 1750 the so-called Schottenuhr clock design (special Black Forest painted wooden shield clock) began to appear with a cuckoo that came out of a small door at the top of the clock face, proclaiming the time every hour.
These clocks were highly coveted and extremely expensive rarities.
Soon a new variety of the cuckoo clock was developed with a brown-stained, oak clockface in the shape of a railroad-house. Today this world-known, wood-carved Black Forest Cuckoo Clock is produced in the same form as in the beginning.
The carvings vary according to design: carved leaves, hunter design, or a miniature house. Many extras have been added to enhance the clock design: 8-day clock movement, turnoff switch, minute hand which can also be turned backwards, and the choice of a music box built into the clock.
As can be seen, the Black Forest Clock is far more than a beautiful souvenir – this clock has impacted the development of our area in a large way.
How Cuckoo Clocks Are Made
The manufacturing process of an original Black Forest cuckoo requires talent and skill. These clocks consist of many individual parts, most of which are hand-made.
The manufacturing of a high quality cuckoo clock requires 4 main steps:
1. The woodcarver carves the wooden surface.
2. The clockmaker builds the mechanical movement.
3. The joiner builds the wooden case.
4. Woodcarving, movement and the wooden case are assembled and adjusted to a unique cuckoo clock by the clockmaker.
The woodcarving is the core of each clock. Cuckoo clocks are made mostly of linden wood using many different types of chisels. Linden wood is used mostly for woodcarvings, because it is not too hard and not too soft.
To start, the layout is drawn on a prepared wooden board with a pencil. Then the shape of the carving is sawed out by using scroll saw. Once this is completed the carving process begins. The wood board is attached to a wooden panel with nails. The carver then works out the coarse structures in order to finish it by using smaller chisels. The first cut is known as the “stop cut”. This requires a solid bench, a solid mallet, and a little violence. The “stop cut” outlines the object and it is cut straight down into the wood all the way around the perimeter of the design, about 0.2 inch deep. The next step is lowering – working all around the “stopped” design until it is outlined with a “lowering cut” at least 0.5 inch across. This procedure repeats itself until the shape of the carving corresponds to the picture, which the woodcarver has designed.
To become a woodcarver, you must first apprenticeship for 3 years.
Cuckoo Clock Types
There are two primary styles of Cuckoo Clocks, Traditional Cuckoo Clocks and Chalet Cuckoo Clocks. Every authentic Black Forest Cuckoo Clock is truly a unique piece, as they have been hand carved in the Black Forest traditions that have been handed down over generations.
Traditional Carved Cuckoo Clocks:
There are 2 styles of traditional cuckoo clocks that can most often be seen today – Station House and Hunter Piece. All traditional cuckoo clocks are typified by their carvings and dark wood stain.
Station House cuckoo clocks are designed to resemble a guardhouse from an old train station. This look began to be used after a famous clock school in Bavaria sponsored a clock design contest with the idea of making cuckoo clocks more popular. The Station House design won and created a demand for the style. The Station House cuckoos possess an architectural style and tend to be more geometric than the free form Hunter clocks. The Station House models are signified by ivy pattern tracery work along the sides and roof. The carved leaves do not over-hang the eaves of the roof as in a Hunter clock.
Hunter style cuckoo clocks are a staple of the Black Forest. The wood carvings tend to be more ornate than Station House cuckoos in terms of subject matter. Hunter clocks also carry are more artistic design in contrast to the architectural design of the Station House cuckoos clocks. These clocks usually depict nature and subjects such as animals, flowers and leaves are typical. The leaves will often drape over the roof to give it even more of ‘part of the forest’ feel. The Hunter style cuckoo clocks will often, but not always, include more directly hunter centric themes including guns and the prizes of the hunt.
Chalet Cuckoo Clocks:
There are 3 types of Chalet style cuckoo clocks – Schwarzwald (Black Forest), Bavarian and Swiss. The differences in these clocks are in their style, each being a different chalet or house. Mainly, it is the roof and balconies that set them apart from each other. It is important to note that even the Swiss style that copies the look of houses in Switzerland are still hand carved in the Black Forest region of Germany.
Chalet cuckoo clocks are signified by articulated figurine movement such beer drinkers and servers, woodchoppers, waterwheels, animals and more. They also tend to be much more colorful than traditional clocks, with more paint and less exposed wood. Due to these features, the ‘clock portion’ of the piece tends to be less important to the buyer than in a traditional cuckoo clock. The attraction of a Chalet cuckoo is more about what it does, the figurine movement and the scene it depicts.
When searching for a real Cuckoo Clock, you are looking for a clock hand carved in the German Black Forest and certified by the Verein die Schwarzwalduhr (VdS) which translates to Black Forest Clock Association. You can recognize a certified Black Forest Cuckoo clock from its VdS seal.
As per the VdS / Black Forest Clock Association -
“Black Forest Clocks allowed to carry this certificate actually have to keep up a high standard. One condition for example is that the clock has been made exclusively in the Black Forest. But the proof of origin alone does not suffice to be accepted for the certificate. The clock must also be working purely mechanically and all its essential parts have to be produced in the Black Forest, too. There is no chance to receive the well desired certificate for quartz clocks or for clocks running by solar energy.”
All Black Forest cuckoo clocks will carry certain traits:
· Black Forest cuckoo clocks are always made of Linden wood.
· All clocks are either 1 day or 8 day movement mechanical clocks.
· The cuckoo clock weights are usually made of cast iron, typically in the shape of pinecones. Although sometimes the weights are made of wood as well.
· 1 day clocks will have smaller weights than 8 days cuckoo clocks.
· Clocks that play music will have 3 weights versus 2 for non-music cuckoos.
· Musical cuckoo clocks play two songs, generally ‘Edelweiss’ and ‘The Happy Wanderer’.
· The internal music boxes are always Swiss made.
Music & Clockwork
Cuckoo Bird
Cuckoo Call
Each mechanical cuckoo clock from the Black Forest holds the famous cuckoo call that make them all so unique. The sound of the cuckoo's call is not generated electronically. It is produced completely by the clock's movement. On a technical scale, the sound is created by two air chambers or bellows. Air is filled into the chambers and squeezed out through a type of whistle. The first bellow produces the first syllable of the sound or the "cu" and the second bellow creates the second syllable or the "cukoo".
Many of the original Black Forest cuckoo clocks feature hand carved cuckoo birds. Some models also feature cuckoos that have moving wings when they call.
The cuckoo sound is also included in the quartz movement clocks, although the sound in these models is produced electronically or is tape recorded.
SBS Feintechnik Regula
Clock movements
One thing that makes original Black Forest cuckoo clocks distinct is the mechanical clock movement. These movements must be wound for the clock to continue working. There are basically two different types of clock movements. One is the 1-Day movement and the other is an 8-Day movement. Both types are high quality mechanical clock movements. The difference in the two is that the 1-Day movement clocks must be wound every 24 hours and the 8-Day movement clocks must only be wound once each week. The cuckoo clocks are driven by weights or Fir Cones that hand down from the clock.
The movements for Black Forest cuckoo clocks are made in Germany. Some manufacturers actually create and assemble the movements in their workshops while others add the finished movement mechanisms into their clocks. Hubert Herr is one manufacturer that creates and assembles all the movements completely within the company. All cuckoo clock movements in genuine Black Forest cuckoo clocks are made with the highest quality and are reliable and durable.
We at www.cuckooclock.com.my recommend clocks with mechanical movements because they are the epitome of a genuine Black Forest clock. They offer a unique combination of tradition and modern technology and are handcrafted to represent years of tradition and culture.
Another type of movement found in clocks is the quartz movement. A quartz cuckoo clock runs on battery power. These are not typically found in Original Black Forest clocks although many manufacturers have added quartz clocks to offer a larger variety in their products. Normally copies of cuckoo clocks will contain quartz movement. There are several inexpensive Asian copies of cuckoo clocks with this type of movement, although they could never be compared to the quality and craftsmanship of an original Black Forest clock. All the quartz cuckoo clocks that we offer have a high quality that are comparable to the original mechanical clocks from the Black Forest.
SBS Feintechnik
“We don’t reinvent the wheel, we just refine it…”
For more then 150 years we focus on developing and optimizing our innovative and customized drive solutions! Today, our product range as a system supplier is covering the classic cuckoo clock engineering, and medical technology, machinery and equipment, household and building finishing with automotive industry.
Tradition combined with an innovative spirit!
The reliable ticking of cuckoo clocks is for us just as important as the automatic door closing function in car doors or quiet, steady hum of our motors in machines and kitchen appliances. We move our products!
Reuge Schweiz
Music and Melodies
Many cuckoo clocks play music as well as featuring the cuckoo sound. Many collectors around the world find the music to be an essential part of their decision to purchase a cuckoo clock. The clocks normally play two different melodies. Many play the German Folk songs "Der fröhliche Wanderer" and "Edelweiss". Chalet styles that feature beer drinkers normally play the songs "In München steht ein Hofbräuhaus" and "Trink, Brüderlein Trink". The musical movement in these styles of cuckoo clocks is very important. Although all musical movements are of the highest quality, the number of tones will vary between 18 and 36. Normally the higher the amount of tones, the better the sound quality will be.
Clocks with 8-Day movements will play music on each hour while clocks with the 1-Day movements will play music on each half hour as well as on the full hour. Musical cuckoo clocks with the quartz movement will normally play music on each hour and will include up to twelve different melodies in each model.
Musicwork by the REUGE MUSIC Company
1796 the Music Box with mechanical musicwork was invented in Switzerland und until today Swiss companies are the leading manufacturers of musicworks worldwide. Ahead of everybody else is the EUGE MUSIC Company. REUGE delivers the mechanical musicwork for all Original Black Forest Cuckoo Clocks that are offered at the Cuckoo-Palace
History auf REUGE MUSIC company
1865
Charles Reuge, a watchmaker from the Val-de-Travers, moves to Sainte-Croix and begins making pocket watches with musical movements.
1886
The son of Charles Reuge, Albert, opens a music box “counter” in Sainte-Croix. We then evolve from a basic workshop to a real company.
Moving Figurines & Elements
Dancing Figurines / Dancing Couples
Many cuckoo clocks from the Black Forest region feature beautifully hand carved dancing figures. Cuckoo clocks with dancing figures or dancing couples are very highly popular. Clocks that feature these figures will normally have them located below the cuckoo. The dancers will turn when the music plays. There are many types and styles of dancing figures. Some clocks have dancing couples while others feature Black Forest couples or children. The figures will be hand carved and/or hand painted depending on the price of the cuckoo clock. Those that are hand carved and painted may be a bit more expensive, but they are much more authentic which, in turn, makes them more valuable.
Moving figurines and other moving elements
Genuine Black Forest cuckoo clocks have other moving elements besides the figures. The Chalet styled cuckoo clocks have authentic looking beer drinkers that lift their glasses or wood choppers with moveable axes. Some have beautiful water wheels that turn when the music plays as well as other moving figurines and elements. The product description under each style of cuckoo clock gives a fully detailed description of all the moving figures and elements.
A few of the traditionally carved cuckoo clocks also have moving parts. Some feature moving cuckoo birds. The moving elements and figurines are one of the things that make the authentic Black Forest cuckoo clocks so highly popular. They bring years of fun and enjoyment to all.
Wood
The many different colors that you see in cuckoo clocks are normally not the result of different types of wood. Most cuckoo clocks from the Black Forest are carved from the locally found Linden tree, also known as the Lime tree. Black Forest clock creators use this wood because it is best for their carvings, although some manufacturers occasionally use maple as their wood of choice.
