The only true cuckoo clocks come from Germany’s Schwarzwald, known in English as the Black Forest. This is actually where clock making was invented; cuckoos are a 17th century off-shoot of the clock technology which saw its start much earlier. The first cuckoos were modified, time-strike shield clocks (a shape we recognize from grandfather clock dials) which included the clever bellows arrangement necessary to create the “coo coo” sound.
Today’s cuckoos can range from the antique reproductions of these early shield clocks all the way to new, contemporary designs in bamboo and hand-painted boxes made by our friends Conny and Ingolf Haas, but also include the more familiar chalet houses, hunting carvings and birds and leaves designs which we carry from each of three factories. We invite you to read more, below:
Hoenes – A factory best at whimsy and novel design, with some great favorites being the Black Forest Maiden Bell Ringer series.
Anton Schneider – The largest factory exporting around the world, with a clock in every size and every style, from traditional birds & leaves to grand chalets.
