More on How Cuckoo Clocks are Made

Meet Christophe from Robert H. Uhrenmanufaktur.

He's a very special clockmaker in the Black Forest in Germany. He produces our very special models #8365 and #8366. There are very few of these clocks made and each is made by hand - one at a time.

Here is a pictorial on the process of carving the special Long Bahnhäusle and Gothic style cuckoo clocks.

How Cuckoo Clocks are Made!

I was glad to see that someone uploaded this documentary to YouTube. Fast Forward to 5:39:



Most of the shots are from our very own Rombach und Haas!!



...of course, the carvings aren't done from "pine or plywood." Black Forest cuckoo clocks are carved from Linden wood.

Here are more pictures from one of our specialty Black Forest cuckoo clock makers:









This was for a custom made clock for the Prince of Baden. Below, the carver is seen constructing our special Long Bahnhäusle cuckoo clocks:

Carved Vienna Regulator

Here's an interesting piece. It's another Vienna Regulator with a very lovely carved case. The case is carved is a rare hardwood, possibly mahogany.















The weight doesn't match. It's got a Jugendstil-style weight and the pattern doesn't quite match the bob and case. I've been reading about diy chemical etching and will one day try to make a weight shell that matches.

If you like this clock, be sure to check out our Amerling regulator with it's fine "Bird's-Eye" Maple case.

"Vienna" Regulators have often been the standard for fine mechanical wall clocks. Their elegant proportions, and high-quality mechanisms create what is for many the epitome of accurate and stylish mechanical wall clocks.

The finest carvings

Hand carving is a craft enjoyed by many.  You can go to any craft show or Boy Scout Jamboree and find some kind of whittled piece - it's one of the oldest forms of sculpture.

Like any craft, there are certain parts of the world and certain examples which raise the practice of wood carving from a Craft to an Art.  Black Forest carvers have consistently shown some of the world's most excellent wood carvings for over a hundred years.  Black Forest carvings have adorned many household objects - and they work especially well when they are featured on clocks.

You can see the fine and lifelike detail on the antique clocks shown in previous posts...  The delicate vines, leaves, and even the feathers on the birds' backs are incredibly real - almost as if, as in some Black Forest folkloric scenario, the bird itself was turned to wood after being caught by a lover's magic spell.

This is an art not completely lost by the passing of time.  The tradition is still carried on by guardians of the art, deep in the cold and dark valleys of the Black Forest in Germany.  

This fine clock is one example of a modern extension of Justin's antique clock, found in the previous post.  It features a life sized, baby cuckoo - this one is stuck in a little cage, and has an animated beak and wings.  An un-traditional shape, this clock is able to incorporate a wild and impressive amount of carved vegetation... trees, vines, leaves... this piece is a feast for the eyes.

A Curious Branch of Art from the 19C. To Today

“The most curious branch of art is, without exception, the manufacturers of automation clocks and the ingenuity of the Germans has produced some wonderful mechanical clocks.” As quoted in “The Watchmaker and Jewler” June 1875 issue.

The clocks that have been produced in the Black Forest Region of Germany, represent some of the most interesting timepieces every created by man…and are truly a work of art. Although the above quote was published almost 135 years ago… it is no less true today.

I would like to take a moment to take a step back in time… And see what this unknown writer back in the 19th C. would have seen in 1875...that would have prompted this comment.

Below is a clock that would have been nearly 50 years old at the time of that publication…

It is a Black Forest shield automa…a type of clock the Germans call “Figurenuhren”.

These early Black Forest pieces highly sought after today. This clock is called a “Schnappuhr”, and was made by Lorenz Bob of Furtwangen C. 1820-30.

This beautiful example has wood arbors, and is driven by ropes instead of the later used chains.

As the pendulum swings back and forth the eyes of the figure move side to side with every swing. The clock strikes the half and full hours , on a bell located on the top of the clock. The mouth of the figure opens and snaps closed with every blow to the bell.

The Germans constantly used these clocks to poke fun at other cultures… I have seen figures ranging from Turks, Harlekins, Indians, to the Russian figure seen here all used.


These pieces show that despite the cold long winters, without electricity, running water and modern tools (It was the early 1800’s!!!)…these creative people were able to make beautiful pieces of art, using only the resources available to them... and make a profit doing so.

These pieces continue to be admired today by both young and old.




Best,
Justin

A Brief Introduction...

Hello everyone,

Dolf and I have been sharing our mutual passion for Black Forest clocks over the last year and when Dolf recently invited me to join North Coast Import's blog I thought it would be a good opportunity to meet new collectors and share information and enthusiasm for these wonderful clocks.

My wife and I have for many years shared an interest in clocks and antique folk wood carvings. These interests have naturally evolved into an interest in the intersection of these hobbies-carved antique clocks. And of course once we were hooked on carved wooden clocks the temptation to start collecting finely carved Black Forest clocks was much too tempting to resist!

Because the scope and variety of Black Forest clocks available is very broad and diversified, we quickly found ourselves trying to restrict our active collecting of these clocks to a manageable scope. Based upon our natural gravitation toward fine wood carvings and some initial research and discussion with experienced collectors of Black Forest clocks, we found ourselves seeking out Black Forest clocks that were made in the mid-late 19th century by Johann Baptist Beha and his family of Eisenbach, Germany. As our collecting interests became more refined we found that the Beha examples that are most appealing to us are the early examples that are made with wooden clock plates and exhibit the most detailed carvings-truly magnificant folk art! I have posted a photo of one of our Johann Baptist Beha clocks that I hope to discuss in more detail in a future post.

John

NEW BLOGGERS

We at North Coast Imports and GermanClocks.org are very pleased to welcome a new member to our blogging community.  John is an expert on antique Black Forest clocks and has a wealth of information to share.

He also has a beautiful collection of rare and unusual timepieces.

Remember, these antiques are very rare and not for sale... but North Coast Imports is pleased to offer a line of new clocks built in this grand tradition of craftsmanship.  Just take a look at this modern Black Forest clock that preserves the Black Forest tradition of incredible carving:

  Ask your favorite clock dealer, or send us an email, to find out  about North Coast Imports and our wonderful timepieces.

Automata

For those of you who are interested in mechanical automata like our whistling birds, birds in the box, whistlers (as well as the more simple automata on our cuckoo clocks for example) I would highly recommend a book by Tom Standage entitled The Turk. In it he runs through a dizzying history of one of the most famous automata and its association with people like Benjamin Franklin, Napoleon, Beethoven, Edgar Allen Poe, and Charles Babbage.

"Automata are the forgotten ancestors of almost all modern technology. From computers to compact-disc players, railway engines to robots, the origins of today's machines can be traced back to the elaborate mechanical toys that flourished in the 18th century. As the first complex machines produced by man, automata represented a proving ground for technology that would later be harnessed in the industrial revolution. But their original uses were rather less utilitarian. Automata were the playthings of royalty, both as a form of entertainment in palaces and courts across Europe and as gifts sent from one ruling family to another. As well as being a source of amusement, automata provided a showcase for each nation's scientific prowess, since they embodied what was, a the time, the absolute cutting edge of new technology. As a result, automata had a far greater social and cultural importance than their outward appearance as mere toys might suggest."

-From The Turk, by Tom Standage, New York: Berkley Books 2002

"The passion for automatic exhibition which characterized the eighteenth century gave rise to the most ingenious mechanical devices, and introduced among the higher order of artists habits of nice and neat execution in the formation of the most delicate pieces of machinery. Those wheels and pinions, which almost eluded our senses by their minuteness, reappeared in the stupendous mechanism of our spinning-machines and our steam-engines. Those mechanical wonders which in one century enriched only the conjurer who used them, contributed in another to augment the wealth of the nation; and those automatic toys which once amused the vulgar, are now employed in extending the power and promoting the civilization of our species."

-From Letters on Natural Magic, by David Brewster, London: John Murray 1832