Cuckoo clocks originated in the Black Forest region of Germany, which is in the southwest corner, in 1730. They consisted of a small bird carved from wood and painted. They had two windpipes that were operated by bellows. One of the windpipes would sound the "cuc" and the other one would sound the "koo". On the hour a small door which is located above the dial would open. Through this door the cuckoo bird would pop out and open its beak each time the pipes wounded the hour. Automata other than cuckoos were added by the Black Forest makers to the clocks. This was done during the score or so of years after 1850. Often these other automata were little men that would strike a bell in the arch of the clock for the hour.
Cuckoo clocks have two kinds of movements. One is a one-day or thirty hour movement. The other is an eight day movement. Usually, a melody sounds only at the full hours in an eight-day clock. It sounds at both the full hour and the half hour in the one-day clock.
The cuckoo clocks that are made today are mostly weight driven. Although, there are some of the clocks which are spring driven. In more recent years, there have been cuckoo clocks available that are powered by quartz batteries. In the quartz powered clocks the movement is regulated by an electromagnet that pulses on and off. This electromagnet attracts a weight that acts as a fulcrum, which in turn is connected to the tail of the plastic cuckoo bird moving it up and down within the enclosure of the cock.
In these more modern cuckoo clocks the cal is a digital recording of the cuckoo calling in the wild, instead of the call being produced by the traditional bellows. In the musical quartz cuckoo clocks, the hourly chime is followed by the playing of one of twelve popular melodies. There is one melody for each hour. A unique thing about some quartz powered cuckoo clocks is that they include a light sensor. This is so when the lights are off at night the hourly chime will be automatically be silenced. Other quartz ones are pre-programmed not to strike between certain hours of the day.
Most of the cuckoo clocks that are encountered today are recent productions. Although, they are still made in the Black Forest region of Germany.
Cuckoo clocks have two kinds of movements. One is a one-day or thirty hour movement. The other is an eight day movement. Usually, a melody sounds only at the full hours in an eight-day clock. It sounds at both the full hour and the half hour in the one-day clock.
The cuckoo clocks that are made today are mostly weight driven. Although, there are some of the clocks which are spring driven. In more recent years, there have been cuckoo clocks available that are powered by quartz batteries. In the quartz powered clocks the movement is regulated by an electromagnet that pulses on and off. This electromagnet attracts a weight that acts as a fulcrum, which in turn is connected to the tail of the plastic cuckoo bird moving it up and down within the enclosure of the cock.
In these more modern cuckoo clocks the cal is a digital recording of the cuckoo calling in the wild, instead of the call being produced by the traditional bellows. In the musical quartz cuckoo clocks, the hourly chime is followed by the playing of one of twelve popular melodies. There is one melody for each hour. A unique thing about some quartz powered cuckoo clocks is that they include a light sensor. This is so when the lights are off at night the hourly chime will be automatically be silenced. Other quartz ones are pre-programmed not to strike between certain hours of the day.
Most of the cuckoo clocks that are encountered today are recent productions. Although, they are still made in the Black Forest region of Germany.