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 Cuckoo
clocks are said to have originated in the Black
Forest in Germany , the first design being accredited
to Franz Ketterer in about 1738. This area had
a rich tradition of clock making which began in
the 1630’s. These people had always used
the local wood, one of the few natural resources,
to carve and craft into objects, especially since
they were often home-bound in the long winter
months. The legend says that a peddler selling
glass from the Black Forest to foreign countries
returned with a clock in about 1630. At that time,
sundials and hour-glasses were the way of keeping
time and it is understandable that such a clock
would have inspired the craftsman to copy the
design and so begin the Black Forest clock-making
tradition.
The first clocks were very primitive, using wheels
with teeth, made of wood and stones to act as
weights. A piece of wood called a ‘Waag’
moved backwards and forwards across the clock’s
dial which, like a pendulum, helped the clock
to keep time. Clock-making became increasingly
important to the people of the Black Forest and
by 1690, a whole industry had established itself
in the area. As the craftsmanship and designs
continued to improve clock peddlers began to travel
to different areas to sell their wares and to
find out about new technology, skills and tools
to help the people with their clock-making.
By 1738, designs had become more
complicated, often incorporating moving figures.
Franz Ketterer (from the village Schönwald)
took it one step further by employing some elements
of designs he had seen in larger clocks which
had a rooster call, and inventing the ‘cuckoo
clock’. The call of the cuckoo was, and
still is, made by sending air through pipes, with
the aid of two bellows. The cuckoo is hidden behind
a small door and this then opens on the half hour
and the hour, the cuckoo pops out and the ‘coo-coo’
noise is heard.
Modern designs of cuckoo clocks
come with various features and requirements. Some
have to be wound every day, others need to be
wound only once a week. They may have more than
one door and other animals in addition to the
cuckoo. Some designs also play a musical tune
when the clock strikes the hour or half-hour and
have dancing figures to accompany it.
Prices for these kinds of clocks
vary enormously, obviously depending on the quality
of the clock and whether it is hand-crafted or
not. Size and features also play a large part
in dictating the price. A small, simple cuckoo
clock costs around $169 whereas a large, top-of-the-range,
8-day winding clock can cost over $2,000. Many
of these clocks are still produced in the Black
Forest area and continue to be hand-crafted. Replica
cuckoo clocks tend to be cheaper since there are
not so many labor costs.
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