Schoenwald in the Black Forest - the brithplace of the cuckoo clock

The History of Cuckoo Clocks from the Black Forest

The first Black Forest Cuckoo Clock was designed and made by Franz Anton Ketterer in the small village of Schoenwald near Triberg, Germany, in the depths of the Black Forest. Ketterer managed to reproduce the cuckoo's call by the clever use of bellows producing two different sounds.
Over the following years, the clock industry developed rapidly in the Black Forest. With their inventive genius, cleverness and dexterity, the inhabitants of the region employed the long winter months in making cuckoo clocks with richly handcarved decorations from various woods. In 1808 there were already 688 clockmakers and 582 clock peddlars in the districts of Triberg and Neustadt.

During the long winter months, the farms were snowed-in and the people had a lot of time to create finely handcrafted cuckoo clocks of many styles with rich and varied carvings. The clocks that were made in winter were sold by the clock peddlars in the summer months during long journeys throughout Europe. The clocks were secured on a frame and carried on the back. They were works of art, sought after luxuries that conquered the hearts of people all over the world.

This ancient craft continued to develop, becoming soon a flourishing industry. The poorly lit "cabinets" on attic floors where watchmakers worked in the past have become light and well-equipped workshops where clock movements and cases are manufactured by upt-to-date methods. But the woodcarvings are still handmade by skilled masters as they were 200 years ago. Old clocks, original drawings of the first cuckoo clocks etc. are still used and modified as patterns for new models, but the cuckoo clock in its basic form is 200 years old and has survived until now. The cuckoo clock symbolizes the past, present and the future.

With the style and design, plus the affectionately and detailed wood-carvings; the system of the call of the cuckoo and also the mechanical clock movement are maintained to this day. The unique styles have made the Cuckoo Clock a timeless design. In keeping with tradition, the family owned AUGUST SCHWER factory has been manufacturing Heirloom Quality Black Forest Cuckoo Clocks since 1885.

Our Cuckoo Clocks are only made with the robust rackstrike movement.
This movement allows turning the hands left and right without endangering the mechanics of the movement.

All our clocks are meticulously inspected for the running and accuracy, In this way, we have the best guarantee for impeccable and reliable function. The wood-carvings we use are made in the Black Forest - without exeption. We prefer to use clock parts coming from the area around Schoenwald.

Our special offers for you: