Cuckoo Clock Repair

We Repair Cuckoo Clocks

Cuckoo Clocks are often a source of great joy to their owners. In many cases cuckoo clocks are purchased during a vacation as many vacation destinations have gift shops where Cuckoo Clocks are sold. Germany, of course, has many cuckoo clock stores since that is where the vast majority of cuckoo clocks are made. Many people who served in the military, that were stationed in bases throughout Europe, often brought cuckoo clocks home as gifts for their parents. Because of these circumstances, Cuckoo clocks can hold a special memory for those who own them.

Types of Cuckoo Clocks

Cuckoo clocks come in many varieties. There are eight day and thirty-hour weight driven versions as well as battery operated versions. We do not recommend to our customers that they purchase the battery-operated versions as, generally speaking, they are not repairable. There are also musical and non-musical versions. Musical Cuckoo clocks will have three weights on them instead of only two. There are also Chalet style cuckoos that have clock cases that look like little houses, A style called “Bird and Leaf” which has a hand carved bird on the top and hand carved leaves surrounding the dial and “hunter’s Case” Cuckoo Clocks that have a large antlered deer on the top with a set of crossed hunting rifles, and a dead rabbit and bird hanging upside down on either side of the dial. Many of the newer versions of the Hunter’s Case have a representation of a live rabbit and bird instead of the dead ones. There is also a style called “Cuckoo and Quail”. These clocks have three weights and a unique quarter hour “striking” cycle. These clocks will play a three-part quail sound each quarter hour, one set of three sounds per quarter, and then play the cuckoo count on the hour.

The Cuckoo Bird

The Cuckoo bird gets its name from the unique sound of its call, a smooth and gentle “coo-coo”. Cuckoo birds are medium-sized birds which most often live in forested areas and woodlands. Certain species of Cuckoos are what are called “brood parasites”. This means that they will lay their egg in the nests of other birds when the female owner of the nest is gone. The unsuspecting bird returns to her nest and incubates the cuckoo’s egg, then cares for the chick when it hatches.

The Unique Qualities of Cuckoo Clocks

Cuckoo clocks are unique for many reasons, the sound of the cuckoo being the first reason. Instead of the common strike or chime of other clocks, when the clock reaches the half hour and hour, a Cuckoo bird will pop out of a door above the dial and will sing its song, a single “coo-coo” at the half hour and a count of the hour, on the hour, with multiple “coo-coos”.

Some clocks have additional “animations” that will occur in addition to the bird popping out its door. You might see a bell ringing in a cupola on the roof of the clock, two birds rocking back and forth over a nest underneath the dial, a man chopping wood or even one or more beer drinkers slamming their mugs of beer on a table.

For those clocks with music boxes, there are often more elaborate animations such as; a rotating water wheel, dancers dancing, a German oompah band swaying back and forth, lumberjacks sawing wood, or even two children sitting on a bench kissing.

These animations often make the repair of these clocks more difficult. For this reason, many clock repair people refuse to repair them. We, however, do repair them. It is likely we repair at least a hundred or more cuckoo clocks every year. If you have a cuckoo needing repair, please give us a call. Click here to “Contact Us”.

Cuckoo Clock Videos

Eight Day Musical Cuckoo Clock

Antique Articulated Cuckoo Bird

Japanese Moving Eyes Cuckoo Clock

German Cuckoo Clock with Unique Battery-Operated Tweeting Bird Sounds

German Cuckoo Clock with Lumbermen Automation