The Different Styles of Cuckoo Clocks

Cuckoo clocks are available in a couple different styles. The first is the carved style, also known as the traditional style. Carved cuckoo clocks feature elegantly hand-carved cases often featuring animal and leaf designs. With the carved style clocks, the only movement of the clock on the hour is the cuckoo bird that emerges from its enclosure and calls out its distinctive call.

The other style of cuckoo clocks is known as the Chalet style. Chalet style cuckoo clocks originated in Switzerland in the late 19th century. As you may have guessed, Chalet style clocks resemble the traditional chalets found in the alpine region of Switzerland and Bavaria. Compared to the traditional carved style, chalet clocks depict various scenes, each featuring lots intricate little details often including woodcutters, dancers, beer drinkers, kissing couples, horses, waterwheels, and many other design elements. Many of these elaborate design features come to life on the hour as the traditional cuckoo bird emerges from its enclosure.

Differences in Cuckoo Clock Movements

The mechanical movement of a cuckoo clock relates to the mechanism that powers the clock. There are two types of mechanical movements found in cuckoo clocks, the 1-day and 8-day movements. The number of days for the movement simply relates to how often the clock must be wound, with 1-day clocks requiring winding daily while 8-day clocks on the other-hand, only need to be wound once a week.

Check out our great product selection including one-day clocks, eight days clocks, and quartz cuckoo clocks that are traditionally styled hand carved Black Forest German cuckoo clock features wooden hands, a wood dial with Roman numerals, and a warm light yellow hand-painted and hand-carved cuckoo bird. The cuckoo clock case is surrounded by five deeply carved maple leaves with a single hand-carved bird seated at the peak of the roof. Two cast iron pine cone weights are suspended beneath the clock case by two separate brass chains.

The hand-carved maple leaf pendulum continuously swings back and forth which controls the timing of the clock. If your cuckoo clock's timing should ever need adjustment, you can control the speed of your clock by sliding the maple leaf up or down the pendulum stick. Sliding the maple leaf down causes the cuckoo clock to run slightly slower, while sliding the maple leaf up makes the cuckoo clock run slightly faster.

On every hour the cuckoo bird emerges from a swinging door above the clock dial and counts the hour by cuckooing once per hour. (Example: At one o'clock the bird will cuckoo once. At eight o'clock the bird will cuckoo eight times) The half hour is announced with one cuckoo call. The cuckoo sound cannot be turned off.

The 30 hour all brass mechanical Regula movement, which is produced in the Black Forest of Germany, is wound once per day by raising the two pine cone weights. One weight powers the time and the other weight powers the cuckoo and cuckoo call.

*Great effort has been made to portray each cuckoo clock as accurately as possible. As with many handmade items, the exact coloration and carving may vary slightly from clock to clock. We consider this to be a special part of their character. This clock is covered by a two year limited warranty covering workmanship and manufacturers defects.

We stock the widest selection of high quality German Black Forest cuckoo clocks, chalet cuckoo clocks, hunters cuckoo clocks and quartz cuckoo clocks, all at discount prices. With hundreds of options to choose from, you are sure to find the cuckoo clock that matches your style and budget.

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