|
Frequently asked questions about Dold Cuckoo Clocks
When
was the first cuckoo clock made?
Are
all cuckoo clocks made in Germany?
Is "Black
Forest" a brand name?
What is a 1
day cuckoo clock?
What is an
8 day cuckoo clock?
What is a
musical cuckoo clock?
How
is the size of a cuckoo clock determined?
What is "Linden"
wood?
What
service do cuckoo clocks need?
Back to Dold Product
List »
When was the first cuckoo clock
made?
The
beginnings of the Black Forest cuckoo clock industry date back to the 17th
century. The first
Black Forest clock (not cuckoo clock) was made in the year 1640 at the Glashof
near Waldau. The
first cuckoo clock was made and designed in the year 1750 by a clock maker named
Franz Anton Ketterer. He was located in the small village of Schönwald which is near Triberg
in the heart of the Black Forest.
Back to top
Are all cuckoo clocks made in
Germany
All
Dold cuckoo clocks are made in the Black Forest of
Germany. There was a
time when other nations tried to produce cuckoo
clocks. Some were
made in Japan, some others, especially fakes reproductions, were made in China. Even
here in the USA there was once a cuckoo
clock factory which founded by German immigrants. Today, Germany is the only nation left to
make genuine cuckoo clocks that are made of Lindenwood and hand-carved and Dold
is one of the very few clock makers that manufacturers the entire clock in
Germany and, of course, in the Black Forest region.
Back to
top
Is "Black Forest" a brand name?
No, Black Forest is a region in the south
western part of Germany. It often is confused with the cuckoo clocks brand names because cuckoo
clocks are usually offered and advertised as "Original Black Forest Cuckoo
Clocks". There is
nothing wrong with this term but it only means that these products are made
in
the Black Forest
of Germany.
Back to top
What is a 1-day cuckoo clock?
A 1-day cuckoo clock is a cuckoo clock with a
mechanical chain/weight driven movement. It has to be rewound by pulling up the
weights to the top once a day. These clocks are also often called 24 hour cuckoo
clocks.
Back to top
What is an 8-day cuckoo clock?
The 8-day cuckoo clock
functions just like a 1-day cuckoo clock. The only difference is that it has to be
rewound only once a week. In Germany people used to say eight days when talking about one week. This
expression was and still is associated to clocks able to run a time span of one week with just
one winding.
Back to top
What is a musical cuckoo clock?
Musical cuckoo clocks are regular 1-day and
8-day clocks able to play 2 different musical tunes after the cuckoo sound. Usually the
tunes will be played after the half hour cuckoo and after the full hour cuckoo in 1-day cuckoo
clocks (MT-clocks). There are 1-day clocks with so called "roof
mounted musicals" or
"two door" cuckoo clocks, they will play the music only once after the full hour
cuckoo (M-clocks). 8-day cuckoo clocks (8MT-clocks) are equipped to play two different
tunes as well, but the inner technique only allows them to play the music after the full
hour cuckoo. One hour the first tune and the following hour the
second tune and the
third hour the first tune again and so on.
Back to top
How is the size of a cuckoo clock
determined?
The
size of a cuckoo clock is measured from the peak of the top carvings to the
lowest end of the
bottom carvings. The weights and pendulum is extra. Weights and pendulum can not be included in
the over all measurements because the clocks are weight driven and therefore the weights
will drop slowly towards the ground and would of course change the measurement every day.
Back to top
What is "Linden" wood?
Linden wood is light colored fairly soft wood
which is short fiber and related to bass wood. These facts make hand carving perfect because
short fiber and soft wood will guarantee that the carvings will turn out well shaped
and smooth on the surface
Back to
top
What service do cuckoo clocks
need?
Usually,
our cuckoo clocks run perfectly for many years as long as it is guaranteed
that they are hung in
a friendly environment. It should not be hung in a humid or dusty area
and also the temperature should not drop below 32° F or 0° C. As long as the
clock runs perfectly
it does not need to be serviced. If it does not run smoothly anymore we
recommend to bring it
to a clockmaker where the movement can be cleaned and oiled with a special clock
oil.
Once a clock is bought and shipped, we can not
accept returns. If the clock arrives damaged, please keep all receipts and
inform the shipping company (and us) immediately. However, we do warranty our clocks for
2 years parts & labor. Servicing
in the United States, Canada, and South America is available. Please feel free to contact AlmostEurope
or Dan and Michele Jensen at the following address:
Black Forest Clocks
27391 Barton Road
Pioneer, CA 95666
clocks@volcano.net
800-843-8902
Back to top
Back to Dold Product
List » |
