How Do Cuckoo Clocks Work?

The cuckoo clock was invented in 1737 by Franz Ketterer in Schoenwald in the Black Forest. A priest named Markus Fidelis Jäck, stated in a report, “This craftsman [Ketterer] adorned a clock with a moving bird that announced the hour with the cuckoo-call. The clock-master got the idea of how to make the cuckoo-call from the bellows of a church organ”. The Black Forest made cuckoo clocks well-known and popular. It created the cuckoo clock industry as we know it today, with some of the most well-known clockmakers still located in the Black Forest. You might be wondering how on Earth do these beautiful cuckoo clocks work? Read on to find out.

What Makes the Clock Function?

The original cuckoo clock works magically without the use of batteries or electricity. The classic cuckoo wall clock is composed of three essential parts — the pendulum, often in the shape of a maple leaf, the “weights,” which are shaped like pinecones, and the chains that you pull to “wind up” the clock. It’s the movement of these components, along with gravity that makes the hands move and the clock work. As the day progresses, the weights slowly drop to their lowest position while the pendulum swings at a steady and even beat. The chains connect to the chain gear that works the internal operations. Each component has to be operating in perfect synchronicity to make sure the clock shows the right time and cuckoos at the hour — and half-hour, depending on which clock you have.

The weights serve two purposes. One drives the time-keeping element of the clock, while the second one controls the cuckoo call and the bird’s mechanics. Traditional cuckoo clocks come in two styles or movements: one-day running time, which needs a wind-up once a day, and eight-day running time, which only needs to be wound once a week.

How Does the Clock 'Cuckoo'?

What makes a cuckoo clock unique is the cuckoo sound it makes! The cuckoo calls on the hour and sometimes on the half-hour, and the weights help the in and out movements of the bird. A bellow and whistle work together to make the “cuckoo” sound. If you are having trouble with your cuckoo call, you can see our troubleshooting guide on how to fix it.

How Does the Music Play?

You can get a clock that plays music and has objects or people that dance around at the call. If you buy a musical cuckoo clock, it will have three weights instead of two. The third weight is what drives the musical component of the clock. A one-day running cuckoo clock will play music at the half-hour and hour mark. The eight-day running clocks only strike and play music every hour.

How Do the Hands Move?

The speed at which the pendulum moves back and forth will determine how the hands move on the clock. So if your cuckoo clock is not telling the right time, you’ll need to adjust the leaf on the pendulum up or down. If your clock is running slow, slide the leaf up a little. If it’s running fast, slide it down.

How Do You Know You Have an Authentic Cuckoo Clock?

The Black Forest cuckoo clock is a work of art and fine craftsmanship. Traditional cuckoo wall clocks function the same way with some varieties depending on the style you choose. A group of craftsmen and clock experts formed an association called VdS, or Verein die Schwarzwalduhr, to make sure strict guidelines are followed to maintain the traditional way of making clocks. Each qualified manufacturer and clock receives a certificate and seal from the Black Forest Clock Association to show it is preserving the traditional cuckoo clocks of the 1700s.

All our traditional cuckoo clocks have this seal of approval. We take pride in having beautiful clocks from the Black Forest. No matter what clock you choose from our website, the whole family will enjoy a timeless piece of German history for years to come.