Cuckoo clocks are an enjoyable and amusing piece of furniture. Imagine being greeted by a strange bird or a merry group of people every time the hour strikes. According to history, a traveler brought a simple, unornamented clock operated with wooden gears and stones as weights in the Black Forest region in Germany. The people became interested with the new device and were soon engrossed in improving and creating their own clocks. Clock making then became an industry for the people of Black Forest. Within their cottages, craftsmen, artisans and clock makers toil over their clocks, from making cabinets and cases, painting elaborate designs and piecing together the mechanisms and movements.
The first cuckoo clock is attributed to Franz Anton Ketterrer. His clocks were operated by suspended weights shaped like pine cones. The sound of the bird was made with twin bellows which sends air through small pipes. His designs was further improved when the face shields, which were simply front plates enameled with the face at the center, where incorporated with wood frames. The most famous design is the Bahnhäusle case, which was created by Friedrich Eisenlohr. The intricately carved wood case became eventually became the famous trademark for most cuckoo clocks.
Antique cuckoo clocks have a variety of designs. Some models are carved with leaves, vines, flowers, ferns, oak leaves, cuckoos, eagles or fox. Collectible clocks made for hunting lodges have deer heads with antlers on top of their wood frames. They are further complimented with rifles, bugles, hares, pheasants and flowers. Antique German clocks by Johann Baptist Beha are also available in the antique market. His sons also designed and manufacture, cuckoo and quail clocks and music boxes. There are also clocks who greet the hour with a merry band of people dancing, a couple bowing to each other, or a butcher swinging an ax at a cow.
Be prepared to maintain and set up your antique clocks. Most clocks were created to be constantly winded and cared for by the owner. Make sure that your clocks are correctly winded once a week. Always put your clock in beat. A well balanced clock will beat a regular tempo. When setting the time, move the minute hand forward in every hour and half-hour to allow it to strike before moving to the next hour. The hour hand can move forward or backward, but the minute hand only moves forward.
It will also be a good idea to keep in touch with your antique clock dealer, just in case you will need further help. You may also ask them questions regarding your purchase, like inquiries about repair, antique clock parts and restoration. Do not be afraid to ask questions, especially if you are just starting out. There are also resources available online. If you want to check your clocks serial number and its equivalent years, there are sites that list serial numbers from well known German clock makers, such as Lenzkirch and Gustav Becker. Also visit your local library or bookstores for published work on clocks and clock makers.