Saturday, January 4, 2014
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Friday, December 6, 2013
10 Facts to Remember about Cuckoo Clocks
10 Facts to Remember about Cuckoo Clocks
With over 200 years of experience and craftsmanship, the history of Black Forest cuckoo clocks is extensive. For those who are just learning to enjoy these German masterpieces, here are a few fun facts:
Hekas, Hubert Herr, and Rombach & Haas are well known and respected manufacturers of authentic German Cuckoo Clocks. Hekas is the youngest, founded in 1938, while the other two are from the 19th century. All three are legends in cuckoo clock making and are in the third, fourth, and even fifth generation of ownership.
Smallest mechanical cuckoo clock in the world is from Hubert Herr. It's only 5.25 inches tall and can fit in one hand.
The widest c HYPERLINK "http://www.house-of-black-forest-clocks.com/attractions.asp?UID=25789745147"uckoo clock in the world is the Hornberger Uhrenspiele. It's in the 1997 Guinness Book of World Records. It's approximately 11.5 m (37.7ft) wide and 10.8m (35.4ft) high, with a chimney sweep, musicians, mechanical waterwheel and more.
The world's largest clock is in Triberg, the Black Forest Region. It took half a decade to build and has a total weight of six tons. The cuckoo is 4.5m (14.76ft) long and weighs 150kg (330 lb.). Visitors can take a tour of the clock and see the inner workings at Uhren-Park.
Most expensive cuckoo clock is the world-time-clock built in 1787, which is located in the Furtwangen Clock Museum
The musical movements in all Black Forest cuckoo clocks are from Switzerland based brands, Reuge or Jobin.
The mechanical movements are manufactured by SBS under the brand name Regula.
All cuckoo clocks come with a night shut-off. You can have the manual switch or you can set the automated shutoff that has a default shut off time of 10pm – 7am. Just check the instructions that come with your clock.
All authentic Black Forest clocks come with a warranty that means if anything goes wrong, you will have convenient access to a specialist in Black Forest clocks. After the warranty is up, the company that sells you the clock may provide replacement parts at special prices or you can find a Black Forest clock specialist in your area for a fee.
Cuckoo clocks do need assembly out of the box but the instructions are very easy to follow.
With over 200 years of experience and craftsmanship, the history of Black Forest cuckoo clocks is extensive. For those who are just learning to enjoy these German masterpieces, here are a few fun facts:
Smallest mechanical cuckoo clock in the world is from Hubert Herr. It's only 5.25 inches tall and can fit in one hand.
The widest c HYPERLINK "http://www.house-of-black-forest-clocks.com/attractions.asp?UID=25789745147"uckoo clock in the world is the Hornberger Uhrenspiele. It's in the 1997 Guinness Book of World Records. It's approximately 11.5 m (37.7ft) wide and 10.8m (35.4ft) high, with a chimney sweep, musicians, mechanical waterwheel and more.
The world's largest clock is in Triberg, the Black Forest Region. It took half a decade to build and has a total weight of six tons. The cuckoo is 4.5m (14.76ft) long and weighs 150kg (330 lb.). Visitors can take a tour of the clock and see the inner workings at Uhren-Park.
Most expensive cuckoo clock is the world-time-clock built in 1787, which is located in the Furtwangen Clock Museum
The musical movements in all Black Forest cuckoo clocks are from Switzerland based brands, Reuge or Jobin.
The mechanical movements are manufactured by SBS under the brand name Regula.
All cuckoo clocks come with a night shut-off. You can have the manual switch or you can set the automated shutoff that has a default shut off time of 10pm – 7am. Just check the instructions that come with your clock.
All authentic Black Forest clocks come with a warranty that means if anything goes wrong, you will have convenient access to a specialist in Black Forest clocks. After the warranty is up, the company that sells you the clock may provide replacement parts at special prices or you can find a Black Forest clock specialist in your area for a fee.
Cuckoo clocks do need assembly out of the box but the instructions are very easy to follow.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
What to Consider Before You Buy a Cuckoo Clock
If you've wanted to buy a cuckoo clock but have been a little nervous, here are a few answers to help put your mind and ease?
Where should I buy my cuckoo clock?
Look around and you'll see sites like eBay filled with cuckoo clocks for sale. An authentic cuckoo clock for sale must originate from the Black Forest in Germany. That doesn't mean you have to fly to Germany to get them; that would be incredibly expensive, of course. Research the sellers of the cuckoo clocks, check reviews, customer feedback, and look at the pictures. The one thing you should see is the VDS Verein die Schwarzalduhr certification that proves the clock is an authentic Black Forest clock.
How often does the clock need to be wound?
That depends on whether you get a 1-day or 8-day clock. The 8-day cuckoo clocks tend to have bigger weights and you'll only need to wind them once a week. The 1-day cuckoo clocks need to be wound daily. You need to make sure that you wind the clocks before the weights have dropped too far or it will stop keeping time. Otherwise, winding a clock is a simple procedure that only takes a few seconds.
Are these clocks safe around children and animals?
Cuckoo clocks are safe around children and pets. You'll need to hand the clock a little higher to keep it out of the reach of both. Since the 8-day clocks have heavier weights, they aren't easy for cats to bat around so they may leave it along. Children and dogs are a different story, especially when the clock makes noise. What you can do is hook the base of the chains at the top of the weight to make it shorter (it will still function just fine) and just keep an eye out.
Where can I get it repaired?
While cuckoo clocks are built for sturdiness and quality, things can happen. If you've tried all the necessary do-it-yourself tactics and you clock still isn't working, you're need to bring in the professionals. The Black Forest Organization has a list of authentic repair shops located around the world. Just visit the site, choose your country and call them to see if they can help you. Make sure you ask for prices and follow the shipping instructions.
One last note: When buying your clock, make sure it comes with the proper paperwork, including the certificate and warranty. It's important that you have that proof to make sure that the clock you're getting is the real thing.
If you've wanted to buy a cuckoo clock but have been a little nervous, here are a few answers to help put your mind and ease?
Where should I buy my cuckoo clock?
Look around and you'll see sites like eBay filled with cuckoo clocks for sale. An authentic cuckoo clock for sale must originate from the Black Forest in Germany. That doesn't mean you have to fly to Germany to get them; that would be incredibly expensive, of course. Research the sellers of the cuckoo clocks, check reviews, customer feedback, and look at the pictures. The one thing you should see is the VDS Verein die Schwarzalduhr certification that proves the clock is an authentic Black Forest clock.
How often does the clock need to be wound?
That depends on whether you get a 1-day or 8-day clock. The 8-day cuckoo clocks tend to have bigger weights and you'll only need to wind them once a week. The 1-day cuckoo clocks need to be wound daily. You need to make sure that you wind the clocks before the weights have dropped too far or it will stop keeping time. Otherwise, winding a clock is a simple procedure that only takes a few seconds.
Are these clocks safe around children and animals?
Cuckoo clocks are safe around children and pets. You'll need to hand the clock a little higher to keep it out of the reach of both. Since the 8-day clocks have heavier weights, they aren't easy for cats to bat around so they may leave it along. Children and dogs are a different story, especially when the clock makes noise. What you can do is hook the base of the chains at the top of the weight to make it shorter (it will still function just fine) and just keep an eye out.
Where can I get it repaired?
While cuckoo clocks are built for sturdiness and quality, things can happen. If you've tried all the necessary do-it-yourself tactics and you clock still isn't working, you're need to bring in the professionals. The Black Forest Organization has a list of authentic repair shops located around the world. Just visit the site, choose your country and call them to see if they can help you. Make sure you ask for prices and follow the shipping instructions.
One last note: When buying your clock, make sure it comes with the proper paperwork, including the certificate and warranty. It's important that you have that proof to make sure that the clock you're getting is the real thing.
Friday, November 15, 2013
History of Pendulum Clocks: Parts and Complications
Until the 19th century, mechanical pendulum clocks were very expensive because they were handmade by individual craftsmen. An authentic German cuckoo clock, for example, was handcrafted by artisans and clockmakers in the Black Forest region of Germany. To own a handmade clock was to show the world that you were a person of wealth. The industrial revolution changed all of that. The home pendulum clock became a means to organize daily life and businesses used them to schedule work. For nearly 300 years, mechanical clocks were the standard timekeepers.
Parts of a Mechanical Clock
All mechanical clocks have five basic parts
Power source – This involves a mainspring or pulley being turned by a weight on a cord or chain.
Gear – Controls the pendulum power and speed
Escapement - Keeps the pendulum swinging using precise impulses
Pendulum – The weight on a rod
Indicator – Known as the clock face. It's the outward record of the escapement rotation
Basic pendulum clocks are used for timekeeping but what many don't realize is that more elaborate pendulum clocks had additional functions called complications. These features went beyond simply displaying the time on the clock face and ranged from simple to complex to rare.
Striking Train – If you've heard a clock strike 12 times at noon that is the simple striking chain complication where the number of chimes equals the hour. More elaborate complications strike every 15 minutes and could even include music.
Moon phase dial – The moon, or lunar, phase is a very accurate lunar calendar that showed the phases of the moon. This complication goes back to about the 1500's. Street and road lighting at night were very rare. If someone wanted to have guests over in the evening, they needed to know when there would have enough moonlight to light the streets. So the creation of the moon phase dial helped to predict when there would be sufficient moonlight as well as when the tides would rise and fall.
Equation of Time – This is an extremely rare complication that measured the difference between the position of the sun and clock time, which varied throughout the year by as much as sixteen minutes more and less. One of the oldest examples of this kind of solar pendulum clock dates back to the early 18th century and resides in the British Museum.
The history of pendulum clocks is an extensive one and it's amazing how something so simple could revolutionize the perception and use of time.
Parts of a Mechanical Clock
All mechanical clocks have five basic parts
Gear – Controls the pendulum power and speed
Escapement - Keeps the pendulum swinging using precise impulses
Pendulum – The weight on a rod
Indicator – Known as the clock face. It's the outward record of the escapement rotation
Basic pendulum clocks are used for timekeeping but what many don't realize is that more elaborate pendulum clocks had additional functions called complications. These features went beyond simply displaying the time on the clock face and ranged from simple to complex to rare.
Striking Train – If you've heard a clock strike 12 times at noon that is the simple striking chain complication where the number of chimes equals the hour. More elaborate complications strike every 15 minutes and could even include music.
Moon phase dial – The moon, or lunar, phase is a very accurate lunar calendar that showed the phases of the moon. This complication goes back to about the 1500's. Street and road lighting at night were very rare. If someone wanted to have guests over in the evening, they needed to know when there would have enough moonlight to light the streets. So the creation of the moon phase dial helped to predict when there would be sufficient moonlight as well as when the tides would rise and fall.
Equation of Time – This is an extremely rare complication that measured the difference between the position of the sun and clock time, which varied throughout the year by as much as sixteen minutes more and less. One of the oldest examples of this kind of solar pendulum clock dates back to the early 18th century and resides in the British Museum.
The history of pendulum clocks is an extensive one and it's amazing how something so simple could revolutionize the perception and use of time.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Troubleshooting your 1-day Musical Coo Coo Clock
Troubleshooting your 1-day Musical Coo Coo Clock
A 1-day musical coo coo clock plays music once every half hour and again every on the hour. There are 1-day clocks also called "two door" or "roof mounted music" clocks that will only play music once every hour. It runs for approximately 30 hours meaning that it needs to wound once a day. Musical cuckoos have three weights: one for the time, one for bird with the cuckoo sound and the third is for the musical movement, which can include dancer figurines.
To set it up out of the box, you first need to remove the two wires and make sure you hang the pendulum and the weights in the proper positions in the bottom. After that it needs to be mounted on the wall in an upright position. Most of the time, installing wall clocks is a straightforward process but there are exceptions.
Running too Fast or Slow
If your clock isn't running at the correct speed and you're hearing the music three times an hour instead of two or one, chances are your pendulum isn't regulated yet. If it's too fast, move the pendulum down. If it's too slow move the pendulum up.
Trouble Adjusting the Metal Pendulum
If you have adjusted the screw but it's still not regulated properly, it may be that the screw was turned in the wrong direction or the disk isn't moving because the spring in the disk is stuck. The best thing to do is to use a gentle back and forth movement on the pendulum disk so that the spring is loosened.
Clock Strikes are Inaccurate
If your clock isn't striking properly every 30 or 60 minutes, chances are there was an error installing the minute hand. You'll need a pair of flat-nosed pliers. Wait until the clock strikes the hour and loosen the screw that holds the hands and the disklets; remember how the items are ordered because they'll need to be put back exactly. If the long hand is riveted to a square rod, adjust it, replace the screws and disklets and test it. If the long hand is not riveted to the square rod, adjust, replace and test. This requires a lot of patience because you're trying to put the minute had in the correct position, which can take time.
A 1-day musical coo coo clock plays music once every half hour and again every on the hour. There are 1-day clocks also called "two door" or "roof mounted music" clocks that will only play music once every hour. It runs for approximately 30 hours meaning that it needs to wound once a day. Musical cuckoos have three weights: one for the time, one for bird with the cuckoo sound and the third is for the musical movement, which can include dancer figurines.
To set it up out of the box, you first need to remove the two wires and make sure you hang the pendulum and the weights in the proper positions in the bottom. After that it needs to be mounted on the wall in an upright position. Most of the time, installing wall clocks is a straightforward process but there are exceptions.
Running too Fast or Slow
If your clock isn't running at the correct speed and you're hearing the music three times an hour instead of two or one, chances are your pendulum isn't regulated yet. If it's too fast, move the pendulum down. If it's too slow move the pendulum up.
Trouble Adjusting the Metal Pendulum
If you have adjusted the screw but it's still not regulated properly, it may be that the screw was turned in the wrong direction or the disk isn't moving because the spring in the disk is stuck. The best thing to do is to use a gentle back and forth movement on the pendulum disk so that the spring is loosened.
Clock Strikes are Inaccurate
If your clock isn't striking properly every 30 or 60 minutes, chances are there was an error installing the minute hand. You'll need a pair of flat-nosed pliers. Wait until the clock strikes the hour and loosen the screw that holds the hands and the disklets; remember how the items are ordered because they'll need to be put back exactly. If the long hand is riveted to a square rod, adjust it, replace the screws and disklets and test it. If the long hand is not riveted to the square rod, adjust, replace and test. This requires a lot of patience because you're trying to put the minute had in the correct position, which can take time.
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