Archive for October 15th, 2009
The word “Chalet” originates in Switzerland and describes a type of Alpine wooden hut that has been used for many years by sheep and goat herders. At the end of the nineteenth century the style of Chalet Cuckoo Clocks became very popular in Switzerland ,and they were highly prized by tourists who loved the Clocks as Swiss souvenirs.
Actually there are three basic chalet styles of Cuckoo Clocks, and two of them originate in the Swiss Alps. One is from the village of Brienz which is in the Canton of Bern, Switzerland. The other shape of chalet is Emmental which has a steep roof which has a large overhang that almost reaches to the ground. Yet another type of the chalet style is Bavarian and also has the steep roof and an overhang. The Bavarian Chalet is my favorite and by far the most popular model for the addition of a music box which plays melodies. Often the wooden case of the clock is decorated with carved leaves, birds and animal heads. On most Cuckoo Clocks the dial displays Roman numerals. Musical cuckoo clocks can be found with both one day movements and eight day movements.
More on eight day movements in my next article.