Cuckoo Clock Information

Beginning in the 17th century, German clockmakers began crafting cuckoo clocks in the Black Forest region. Over time, those clocks began to bear a distinctive resemblance to the exterior of Alpine homes. These chalet cuckoo clocks displayed more innovation as the years passed, but their inner mechanisms have remained stunningly consistent. While wooden gears have largely been replaced with metal and plastic, the design schemes are virtually identical.

If these pendulum clocks haven’t changed much on the inside, their exteriors are now hubs of activity. Some cuckoo clocks feature a tiny man chopping wood with an ax or a group of villagers dancing joyously in a circle. Perhaps most importantly, all of these happenings are timed impeccably to correspond with certain hours of the day. Many clocks feature a light sensor that silences the cuckoo at night.