Novelty Cuckoo Clocks

By Wendy Pan

Cuckoo clocks have delighted the world for generations. Their wonderful and intricately carved traditional designs have always been popular both as accurate timepieces and as decorative items. The clocks are synonymous with The Black Forest and have been made there traditionally since the mid 1700s. It is thought, however, that there were made in other areas prior to this. Although the traditional clocks have retained their popularity and appeal, we are now seeing a great many novelty cuckoo clocks on the market.

With many clocks using battery power rather than the traditional wind up mechanisms, clock with an hour chime are much less expensive to produce and have a greater flexibility when it comes to their design. The modern novelty cuckoo clocks do sometimes take advantage of the more modern battery system although some still rely on the wind up mechanism. Some of these clocks should perhaps not be labelled as cuckoo clocks and many of the traditional clock collectors would not consider them in the category at all. Often the term will just refer to the fact that the clock strikes the hour with the appearance of an animal through a doorway or window. The fact that this may not be a cuckoo seems secondary in some cases. The term cuckoo clock is often just an easy descriptive name.

Some novelty cuckoo clocks are very traditional and retain much of their Bavarian and Black Forest character. There have always been two main designs of cuckoo clock; the hunter style and the chalet style. To a traditionalist, the chalet style clock is often thought of as being a bit of a novelty. These have sometimes evolved into very fancy clocks indeed incorporating cattle with cow bells and traditionally dressed characters. One that remains constant with these timepieces, however, is the presence of the cuckoo when the clock chimes. Another novelty addition which is sometimes found on these clocks, is a girl on a swing where the pendulum hangs. Even though some of the smaller novelty clocks do not use the hanging pendulum as a wind up mechanism, the will often have a small decorative pendulum which is sometimes a novelty character.

Also, on the market today, you can find some cuckoo clocks which have evolved with a variety of animals rather than just the cuckoo. These are very popular with young children and are named cuckoo clocks just because they feature the animal coming through the door to announce the hour. This could be a cow, dog, horse or similar popular animal and is accompanied by the appropriate "Moo" or "Woof".

Whether you opt for a traditional Black Forest clock or a novelty cuckoo clock, some of these timepieces are truly lovely. Their appeal may be in the intricate workmanship or just their novelty value. Whichever is the case, they are sure to make a lovely and practical addition to a room.

Wendy Pan is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about novelty cuckoo clocks, please visit Original Cuckoo Clocks for current articles and discussions.
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