Black Forest – The home of the Cuckoo Clocks (Germany)

Black Forest is the largest forested mountain range in the state of Baden-Wurttemberg in south western Germany. It is bounded by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The region is almost rectangular in shape with length of 160 km and breadth of 60 km. Originally Black Forest was a mixed forest of deciduous trees and firs. At the higher elevation spruce also grew. In the middle of the 19th century, the Black Forest was almost completely deforested by intensive forestry and was subsequently replanted, mostly with spruce.

It is believed that the cuckoo clocks are developed and evolved in the Black Forest area. A cuckoo clock is typically a pendulum-regulated clock that strikes the hours with a sound like common cuckoo’s call and has an automaton cuckoo bird that moves with each note. The mechanism to produce the cuckoo call has been in use since the middle of the 18th century and has remained almost without variation, until the present. It is unknown who invented it and where the first one was made. The cuckoo clocks were exported to the rest of the world from the mid 1850s onwards.

The design of a cuckoo clock is now conventional. Most are made in the “traditional style” (also known as “carved”) or “chalet” to hang on a wall. In the “traditional style” the wooden case is decorated with carved leaves and animals. They have an automaton of the bird that appears through small trap door while the clock is striking. There are two kinds of movements one day (around 30 hours) and eight day clockworks. Some have musical device and play a tune on a Swiss music box after striking the hours and half hours. The cuckoo clocks are mostly weight driven, though very few are spring driven. The weights are made of cast iron in a pine cone shape and cuckoo sound is created by two tiny pipes in the clock, with bellows attached to their tops. The clock’s movement activates the bellows to send a puff of air into each pipe alternately when the timekeeper strikes.

Never miss a visit to Drubba clock factory the alpine nest of the cuckoo clock when you are in the Black Forest area. Here you can witness a demonstration to explain the making of authentic cuckoo clocks in their original form, each piece carefully crafted for precision. A visit there is always a memorable experience and also it is the perfect place to buy your souvenir piece which comes in different sizes and designs to suit your pockets. They have service centers all around the world. In India they have service centers in Mumabi and Bangalore. From the Drubba clock factory you can take a short walk to the Black Forest among the chirping birds and gushing streams.

This clock draws power from this water flow which fall on the wheel

Demonstration of the making of cuckoo clocks

And finally my clock is getting packed to be carried to India.... — And finally my clock is getting packed to be carried to India….

6 thoughts on “Black Forest – The home of the Cuckoo Clocks (Germany)”

I hope you are enjoying your cuckoo clock as a reminder of the beautiful Black Forest and its amazing craftsmanship. Having grown up in that region, I always enjoy going back to visit and seeing all the expert artisan works that are indigenous to that area (wood work, house construction, certain clothes, specialty foods and drinks, and of course the clocks). Thank you so much for following Beauty Along the Road and bringing me over here.

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