Don't buy a cuckoo clock

A (very) brief history of cuckoo clocks, where you can see the biggest of them all, and why you never want to buy one.
Music:
"Style Funk" and "Hot Swing"
by Kevin MacLeod incompetech.com
Creative Commons Attribution licence
Sound effects by:
Rvgerxini, InspectorJ, magnuswaker and michorvath
from freesound.org
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[@isaacbobjork7053]

The first "world's biggest cuckoo clock" would of course be the first cuckoo clock ever made.

[@NicolaW72]

Indeed! So Friedrich Eisenlohr had made it...

[@KaiHenningsen]

@@NicolaW72 ... if you're only talking about the "modern" design.

[@ChrisBrunsdon]

It would also be the first "worlds smallest cuckoo clock" 🙂

[@ChrisBrunsdon]

@@KaiHenningsen and didn't he only design one, not actually make it? I might be wrong, there...

[@CC-my2nt]

Not really true... I'm German and from the black forest region, my family has a Cuckoo Clock at home and so do quite a few of our friends. They're fun to look at and you totally get used to the sound after a while, I don't really notice it anymore. If you feel like buying one just go for it, nothing wrong with that :)

[@dondufay2209]

Yes, its true.. they really are very beautiful watches. I have 4 in my house.

[@victoriasun6386]

I agree with you I grew up around my godbrothers cuckoo clock and I loved it

[@beemerkon]

Obviously this guy thinks he's to smart talking like he's a Swiss watch maker and knows nothing

[@christopherpeterson4224]

German American here! Grew up with one in my house that worked my whole life until it “wore out”!!!! My mother grew up with it, before I was born and it lasted another 2 decades before it had any issues!!!! I have it now and have had it fixed. And it works fine today!!!! Don’t listen to this “English libtard TWIT”!!!! All he wants is for us to hate our race and the things that have “made Germans distinct from other cultures” !!!! !!!! !!!! !!!! Hmm, let me go down the list of things that have made other cultures and “the English” and many many others that have barrowed,ripped off, or stolen from other people and make a claim ok???? Or, be happy the Germans made the best working pleasurable entertaining whimsical clock that everyone else didn’t and (shut the F*** UP!!!!

[@j.ga.s.7331]

I just purchased a hand carved bavarian cuckoo clock $7659.00 Something I always wanted to own since I was very young. The myth of the whole idea will make me go back 300 years back in time, when the swiss, bavarians, German and the whole entire alps villagers did in that time. The workmanship is so admired and appreciated. knowing I have a time piece that time was spent on to carve, put together is an awosome thing to own. that guy in the video is a hater and does not value good things in life.

[@JosephAnthonyJosefius]

I lived in Germany in my youth and I'm in America and having a Cuckoo Clock reminds me of my childhood and it's calming to me. Plus you can turn off the Cuckoo with a switch on the side of the clock. I don't understand all the hate.

[@j.ga.s.7331]

Just bought one from Bavaria $7890.00 all hand carved. that guy in the video has a mental issues. I prescribed Xanax for him, that might help his hateful situation then I suggested for him to go buy one made in china.

[@stephenlee5929]

Given you are living in America, you have reasonable access to the Rewboss solution.

[@SilverXeno]

There's a superstition among military spouses in Germany that you leave Germany with a cuckoo clock or a baby. If you'll recall. I did *not* purchase a cuckoo clock in Germany...and I indeed left with a baby.

[@ccityplanner1217]

My grandfather left Germany with a wife; my mother came within a year.

[@sophierobinson2738]

My brother mailed ours to us.

[@paolopoempel3048]

Damn - much more noise than a cuckoo clock. And for sure it will last up until your lifetime ends

[@Biergartenparadoxon]

I guess that superstition origins from a mistranslation. In German there is the word "Kuckucksei" (egg of a cuckoo) which origins from cuckoos laying their eggs in the nests of other birds. So you take your baby with you or leave it in the "nest" of another man.

[@recoveringsoul755]

I was pregnant when I visited Germany in 1991, and the clock shop was closed the day we went there. So I had to get one later from home, one of the home shopping channels. We stayed with my husband's cousin, who was in the military. His wife didn't get pregnant or get a clock. She was German though

[@brycelandon6387]

I'll have you know, I have a cuckoo clock that belonged to my grandpa; it was given to him in 1982, and it works just great now in 2021! It's one of my prize possessions!

[@toothlesstoe]

It might need to be serviced soon

[@Keoeoeke]

@@toothlesstoelol I’d think it need to be serviced now

[@Laufbursche4u]

4:25 "It will sooner or later break" The cuckoo clock of my parents worked 27 years.

[@Dunkelschmirk]

So it didn't break sooner, but later...

[@Laufbursche4u]

But it was VERY annoying.

[@_aullik]

Well made ones last but are really expenisve, but the cheap souvenir stuff breaks fast.

[@SumProject18]

My grandma's is almost 50 and still going strong. I repaired it for her about 1 year ago, and it's running great!

[@CBF1]

Several of mine are over a century and still work and are nearly exactly as they are when they were built. My most pristine century-old cuckoo clock dates to 1919. It's pretty much still exactly as how it was when it was built. Original flutes, bellows, everything. No damage to the case or facade.

[@bimmerwman]

I think you are missing the main reason of why people purchase these clocks. It is the intricate craftsmanship of the woodwork along with the sounds, chimes, etc. The woodwork alone is worth what I paid for my clock. I smile at it every time I look up at it. It is one of the few things that you can enjoy through eye appeal that wasn't made in China and bought from Wal-Mart.

[@karenholley8356]

@bimmerwman Well said! I agree completely!

[@haukesattler446]

Sorry for Maurice, my condolences.

[@metalpit1000]

So I do feel.

[@jensschroder8214]

Psst, nobody should know that. Every stranger should have a cuckoo clock, because Germans would not buy it. But it is a tradition that every stranger has one, has a beer mug next to it and has visited Neuschwanstein.

[@NicolaW72]

:-)))

[@1911wood]

It’s like you were following me around. I like my photo of the castle better than any other.

[@TeenDream888]

don't you *_dare_* disrespect a stein by calling it a mug. and I use the term stein only for anyone not from Germany so they know what I'm talking about

[@fafnir-fasolt]

@@TeenDream888 correct term is "Bierkrug" pronounced "Beercroog". "Bierstein" is unknown in Germany, we have only "Steinkrug" pronounced Stynecroog which is a ceramic mug.

[@HotelPapa100]

@@fafnir-fasolt And the Bembel. Can't forget the Bembel.

[@rlayton7107]

Bought a cuckoo clock in Germany, 1969. It's hanging on my wall right now, still running. Has never failed.

[@mudasirshahid3839]

Great

[@alexoshhh]

yeah juat clean it because it could wear the movement

[@NIGHTGUYRYAN]

well you better go out and catch it! 😂 sry

[@slayerrules70]

I recently acquired my parents’ cuckoo clock. It is almost 60 years old,and still works perfectly. I loved it when I was a kid,and still do! So nostalgic!

[@DisposableSupervillainHenchman]

Neat! Who manufactured it?

[@recoveringsoul755]

Went to Germany in 1991, the clock shop was closed on the day we went. Later bought one from one of those home shopping channels. I love it. The only thing that broke was the hands because that's how you set the time, and ya know, kids. So I need to get new hands for it and it'll be fine again. Love the sound, you just tune it out after awhile like any white noise. Its comforting

[@runnerba]

Brillant

[@FriedeSeiMitDir]

I worked for one of those souvenir shops that sell cuckoo clocks for a few months and, yes, we mainly sold them to tourists from the US and China. I can confirm that almost nobody in Germany (save MAYBE traditionalists in the Black Forest itself) owns a cuckoo clock. But I have to disagree that they are all ugly. There is a lot of kitsch out there but there are some clocks, more akin to the simpler, traditional models, which I do like. AND if you buy quality, quality is what you get. Some last well over 20 years before you have to take them to a clockmaker for the first time. Would I buy one? Probably not. But I can appreciate the skill and handicraft that go into them (the quality ones that is).

[@erikhenrywilhelmhoffmann7662]

Unsinn! Ich habe eine, und ich lebe nicht im Schwarzwald.

[@FriedeSeiMitDir]

@@erikhenrywilhelmhoffmann7662 Das Sie eine haben ändert nichts daran, dass die allermeisten Deutschen keine besitzen. Ist vielleicht auch eine Sache des Alters? Auch wenn Uhrenherrsteller wie Hönes mittlerweile auch "hippere" Farben benutzen (z.B. pink oder schwarz-weiß), um die jüngeren Generationen anzusprechen, findet man Kuckucksuhren wohl eher noch bei älteren Leuten. Im Allgemeinen wollte ich auch lediglich die Klischees entkräftigen, jede deutsche Familie würde eine besitzen.

[@cebillon]

@@FriedeSeiMitDir Hahahaha, meine hat jetzt mein Nachbar gekauft inklusive mit dem Vogelfutter für 2 Jahre ^^

[@theexchipmunk]

Yeah, most of the clocks that get bought by tourists are very cheap things, probably produced somewhere in Asia. There are Germany who by them, not many, but there are. But these people would not even look at one of the things that get sold in souvenir shops. No, those people go to on of the few craftsmen who actually build real ones. But you will have to stash out a good amount of money, likely hundreds if not over a thousand euros for these. But well, those will likely last a lifetime.

[@FriedeSeiMitDir]

@@theexchipmunk Yep, if you take good care of them, they will! Way over a lifetime even. And yes, we also sold quality clocks up to 3000 Euros for the larger, more intricate ones, starting maybe at 250 for the smallest ones.

[@Yithiru]

This makes me miss my parents' clock. They inherited it from my grandpartens and when it stopped working and couldn't be fixed anymore, we'd still hear it in our head every hour... Is that trauma or a fond memory?

[@the_retag]

Bring it to a clockmaker he will be able to repair it

[@NicolaW72]

@@the_retag ...maybe...

[@MichaEl-rh1kv]

Trauma, clearly.

[@BertGrink]

I'd say it's the memory of a fond trauma.

[@Yithiru]

@@the_retag we asked two clockmakers and they said it's so worn, the whole mechanism would have to be replaced. So it now serves as decoration

[@tilmanluther1887]

This video oh crap no. I own three cuckoo clocks. Ones worn out and one sorta works, and another antique german clock and about 25 beer mugs. Never been to germany but it's a part of what I love. Hearing someone say dont buy a cuckoo clock is like hearing dont have soemthing to enjoy

[@BukuiZhao]

@Sp Yea, this channel keeps on uploading such content and some of them are false

[@Inkyminkyzizwoz]

We normally go on a pilgrimage to Lourdes in southern France each year and there's something of an unofficial competition for the most tasteless souvenir of the week, and one year the winner was a cuckoo clock where on the hour Our Lady came out saying "Ave! Ave! Ave!"

[@gamers7800]

That is just beyond belief! I concur, you just found the winner hands-down!🤦‍♂️

[@book5ter]

Thank you for the Video Rewboss. My condolences for your loss. I hope he went peacefully.

[@MrLAntrim]

The school at which I teach has an exchange partnership with a school that is located in the Black Forest. Quite a few of the locals there have cuckoo clocks. My host from our last trip has 2. I know "no one buys them" is hyperbole, but I think anyone who wants to buy some tacky bit of randomness, should go do it. Your money. Your problems. That said, my mother bought a "real German" cuckoo clock real cheap from some dude she barely knew. Amazingly, she almost never remembered to wind it (pull the chain or whatever), so it was almost always either wrong, not working or both. After about 6 months of that, it broke. Now it is completely useless, but still hangs on the wall, because "why not". I personally own a cuckoo clock of sorts. I bought one of those refrigerator magnet ones from Neuschwanstein. It looks like Neuschwanstein, but has a clock face on the front of it. It is really just a cheap plastic clock face attached to an even cheaper plastic approximation of the only castle Americans usually know about, but definitely can't pronounce. Within 4 months of having it, my son knocked it off of the refrigerator several times. Now the clock doesn't work and a few of the towers are broken. It is still on the refrigerator, however, because my wife likes it. Happy wife. Happy life. I visited one of the "world's largest cuckoo clocks". I was unimpressed. I was more entertained by the glass blowing place next door. Definitely one of the worst tourist traps I have been to. 3/10 would not recommend.

[@jwider96]

My grandparents used to live in the blackforrest and also had several cockoo clocks and my grandpa rewinded them every morning. As a kids we were always waiting for the full hour to see the cockoo and because the clocks were not going exactly right we could run from one room to the other to see all the cockoos

[@germanpickle]

I was born in Germany and lived there until I was 6. My grandparents had a cuckoo clock in their home. I returned to Germany in 2005, went to my home town and asked a local shop owner where I could buy a cuckoo clock... and it was not in a souvenir shop.

[@user-ch6xi7rh8k]

We have had a cuckoo clock in our family since shortly after the war when it was brought home by a family member stationed there. Runs perfectly and has never once been or needed to be serviced. We really cherish and enjoy it. Took it to a reputable cuckoo clock repair in 2022 for inspection and they oiled it and said works and looks perfect still. Timeless and cool in my view! Very well made and durable too.

[@kenz5469]

Mechanical cuckoo clocks will run longer than any battery or even electric clock if properly maintained (cleaned and lubed on occasion)

[@MysterX79]

As I was a kid, I had a small functioning cuckoo clock in my room. If I will ever visit the black forrest, I will get me such a souvenir, just for the nostalgia of those memories. (even if I will eventually switch it off a day later hehe)

[@joeydigrazia765]

I've had the same one for 22 years. It's outlived friends, and family members and it's hung on the walls of three residences I've lived in. I can turn the cuckoo sound off anytime and I love the warm domestic sound of the pendulum ticking. It's an all wood clock from Germany and cost me nearly $400.00 dollars. I love it.😄🕰 PS, it keeps very accurate time- no batteries or electric cords either.

[@mudasirshahid3839]

Great

[@DisposableSupervillainHenchman]

Any idea where I could find a similar, well-made cuckoo clock? Or should I just be sure to get an authentic, German-made clock?

[@joeydigrazia765]

@@DisposableSupervillainHenchman get a German one !!!🇩🇪🇩🇪🇩🇪

[@Seegalgalguntijak]

Oh, that's so typical for Americans. "Correct cultural heritage? Oh, screw it, it's all Europe over there, who's ever gonna care?!" ... stereotype match 100%.

[@bluebear6570]

Reminds me of a little story about a tourist from the US visiting Munich, asking a native where he was. The native started out to answer elaborately, but was cut short by the tourist saying "no details, please, just tell me which continent".

[@bimmerwman]

Most people in the U.S. have ancestors from all over Europe. The U.S. has always been melting pot of immigrants that have intermarried and combined cultures from the expanses of Europe. All I can say is, I hope that my British ancestors were not related to this miserable prick.

[@wolfgangrichter6884]

Well, I am German by origin and when I was living in Strasbourg I made a trip to the Black Forest and I bought a cuckoo clock about ten years ago. It still works and I never had problems with it. The clockwork is running nicely and at the side there is a lever to stop the cockoo - so you don‘t need a gun to do so.

[@southofgermany3522]

Yes the cheap touristy Jones are awful. But if you get yourself the right Modell it will Last. And there are even some who only Cockcoo when there is light in the room.

[@inspireme-hn1oh]

Why am I even interested in this conversation, sometimes I wander about my life... what have I become

[@davidsalucco56]

I've had the same cuckoo clock from the black forest in Germany for 30 years and I only had one problem with it. The chain fell of the gear spindle. Cost me 40.00 to repair and they do this for a living here in Massachusetts. As for the thingy that makes the sound...they are called the BELLOWS. You have no idea what your talking about. Stop spreading misinformation.

[@christiankolinski1563]

Worst thing about "the biggest cockoo clock "is it's location..: It's just outside Triberg. In a bend on the main exit road out of town town northbound. After a short tunnel. You frigging heck can count on either tourist standing in the middle of the road taking pictures (which you won't see from afar, as ... bend in road, combined with tunnel) or tourist missing the exit to the clock before the tunnel _slamming_ the brakes to make a (forbidden) turn. Every single day during summer, when driving home from university - in fact the one responsible for this ... thing. The clockmaker school evolved into an engineers school which became Furtwangen University of Applied Science - or Hochschule Furtwangen in German. Still has a nice Clock museum, with quite a lot more than cuckoo clocks.

[@TommyWylie]

I have two cuckoo clocks going in my living room all the time, and one of them has a quail too. That one was bought from an antique dealer in Germany as a neglected old wreck, so someone in Germany had owned it and appreciated it for a long time! The movement was incredibly dirty, the bellow tops were ripped off, the case was shabby, the dial was broken and worn, the hands were just rough pieces of plastic, and the pendulum was missing. I rebuilt the three train quail movement on my own, ultrasonically cleaned it, and rebushed the time train main wheel pivots. I replaced all three bellow tops. bought a new dial, hands, and pendulum for it, filled in some old woodworm holes, woodstained the case, and it's now the nicest cuckoo clock I've ever had! I also have an older Black Forest one with a wooden framed movement, which ticks incredibly loudly and has the noisiest gears you've ever heard in the striking train. But I love them both and I haven't gone crazy yet! In the coming months I intend to embark on a third one which is mechanical but also has an electric motor-driven canary sound. I also intend to have that one working all the time, and I'm fairly confident it won't drive me crazy. The rebuild might drive me crazy, but I won't be put off!

[@Dave_Sisson]

In all my travels I had never encountered a place selling cuckoo clocks and then I discovered a shop entirely dedicated to them. But the shop was not in Germany, but in the village of Omeo in Victoria Australia. It's a small mountain town not on any tourist route except an alternative access to a ski resort that is used if the main road is blocked by snow. I have no idea how they made a profit from such a niche shop in such a remote place, I suspect it was more of a hobby than a business.

[@johnmonk3381]

Even if you don't appreciate the cuckoo sounds, you could at least appreciate the intricate carvings and time keeping. Any one of this is already a masterpiece in its own right

[@will251]

I have been to Sugar Creek, it’s a nice little town. Has a lot of Amish... who are also not Swiss.

[@HansFranke]

Except, Jakob Ammann was born in Simmental in Switzerland, and it was as well in Switzerland, Emmental, where he broke off from Mennonite mainstream (Swiss Brothers), from were on his followers were called "Ammannsche Leut" - Ammann's Folk. So yeah, their roots are quite Swiss. But yeah, substantial growth started later, when they moved across various southern German states.

[@will251]

@@HansFranke Oh wow, that’s very cool!

[@holger_p]

Maybe, you just call everybody celebrating rural life Amish ?

[@will251]

@@holger_p No lol. I know who the Amish are.

[@7thson555]

I can’t pull myself to take life advice from someone who made the decision to walk around with those sideburns.

[@123corpsman]

Indeed!

[@unusualclocks8630]

I collect and restore antique cuckoo clocks. I love this video, very accurate information especially about Eisenlohrs Bahnhäusle style. I too can’t stand modern ones, but would like to defend the earlier ‘real’ cuckoo clocks. Pre 1900s cuckoos are of very high quality, sporting thick brass plates. The cases vary from amazing carving to Biedermeier style with rich veneers, some featuring paintings, metal inlays or eye-moving automata. They will work for decades, my oldest from 1845 still going strong, are easily repaired and have a way lower call, so they even sound good! The best cuckoo clock maker, Johann Baptist Beha, managed to make the call realistic enough to attract live cuckoo birds from the forest. Post WW2 cuckoos are when all went downhill with cheap movements and mass-produced pressed carvings. Don’t buy a new cuckoo clock, get an antique one!

[@benm2370]

There are very well made/carved cuckoo clocks available from craftsmen who still uphold the traditions.

[@TeenDream888]

I have a _beautiful_ cuckoo clock from Germany, given to me by family. I love it, it's always off by a few minutes, but hey, I grew up with grandfather clocks and cuckoo clocks. and they didn't sound like a 'cuckoo', mine plays music and it's lovely.

[@AelwynMr]

You can usually make it to speed up or slow down by raising or loweing the weight of the pendulum by a screw. If kept at constant temperature, a pendulum clock can be extremely accurate, in fact they were the most accurate timekeepers available until the quartz watch.

[@TeenDream888]

@@AelwynMr I sadly live right by the ocean, so between the dang humidity and the constant flux in temp and damp as the tides come in and out, it's just not ever going to be 100%. I really appreciate the input though, you are absolutely correct! I never understood why cuckoo clocks got such a bad rep. I plan on having a house akin to Geppetto's workshop in _Pinocchio_ ! clocks, with all their chimes and ticking and music, *everywhere* !

[@TimwiTerby]

I kinda wanna buy a cuckoo clock now

[@ericl2851]

Additionally with all the “green” fanatics out there. What is more pure that a clock made of wood and metal that runs solely on gravity power. I bought a cuckoo clock for my parents in Disneys Epcot when I was a teenager. It had a carousel, cuckoo bird and a birds nest with feeding birds. We lost it roughly 2 decades later. But it was worth far more than I initially paid. The cuckoo’s become nostalgia. And yes i would recommend buying one.

[@minirop]

I went to Triberg at the end of 2019 before the virus was a thing. It was nice.

[@jasonleahey214]

Ouch , don’t say that. I own more than 20 of these clocks and love them. With a little maintenance ( oil basically) they run forever. I have an original railroad quail and cuckoo clock, all the way to a modern Triberg MCC clock.

[@dondufay2209]

they really are very beautiful watches. I have 4 in my house.

[@theantiquescollector2199]

I love cuckoo clocks.

[@CBF1]

Ooooooooooh so far I've got 35. Most work but some are broke. Not many. My 16th is MAJORLY broken however. Damaged music box comb on that one, 3 broken teeth.

[@glpxt]

I've watched this video and now KZbin won't stop pestering me with cuckoo clock video suggestions. Thank you, rewboss.

[@orcajorca7215]

This is a nice subtile farewell message and suits this channel. Still, my condolences.

[@christiankastorf1427]

Making and selling quite crude clockwork from wood and wire brought some extra money into the households of poor woodland farmers. The same thing was true for those musical (snuff)boxes that play tunes by having a revolving cylinder with steel studs stuck into them. The typical way by which trade worked was that a contractor went around in autumn and sold the raw items to the families and came back the following spring to collect the assembled machines. In the baroque and rococo era clockworks that played tunes, had little figurines that danced minuets and the like were very popular. They were mechanical wonders with all their cogs and cams which drove the bellows that pumped the air for all that flutes and that had to be timed to perfection, plus all that chimes and tubular bells in them. Southern Germany was one of the centres for those early sound machines. Welte&Mignon in Freiburg for example developed (paper roll) pianolas that allowed the pianist to transfer his or her individual playing technique to be transformed into that system of perforated paper.

[@1911wood]

In 2000 my self and a couple of colleagues spent eight weeks in the wonderful Spessart region. We were working at Reis the industrial robot company in Obernberg and staying at the Paradeismuhle Hotel in the Klingenberg area. Wonderful place. We even spent some time shopping in Aschaffenburg. We called it AscShoppingburg. Your town reminded us of a small town sized shopping area in Kansas City. One of several trips we made in your wonderful country was to the Black Forest so an authentic Cuckoo Clock could be obtained. In my opinion it was quite nice. Great memories. For a moment there you reminded me of Chief Inspector Dreyfus from the Pink Panther. Good work, carry on.

[@Freinersen]

I followed your advice all my life without even knowing it.

[@zomskull5571]

Lustige Geschichte aus meiner Kindheit: Bei meinen Großeltern hing im Wintergarten eine Kuckucksuhr in ca 2 Metern höhe, und ich war natürlich ziemlich fasziniert davon (war glaub so um die fünf Jahre alt). Das besondere war, sie hatte so Ketten bzw so eine Art Pendel unten dran, mit denen man die Uhrzeit einstellen konnte. Meine Oma hat also immer mit den Ketten die Uhr vorgestellt, um mir den Kuckuck zu zeigen. Tja, und als sie dann in die Küche ging, hab ich einmal selber dran gezogen. Lange Rede, kurzer Sinn, der Kuckuck kam raus, machte einmal "Kuckuck" und und dann krachte mir die Uhr voll auf den Kopf. Wohl zu stark gezogen. Hatte mir eine Platzwunde zugezogen, die im Krankenhaus genäht werden musste. Bis heute hab ich eine Narbe auf der Stirn. Ach, die Uhr war danach Kaputt, der Vogel hat mitten in der Bewegung angehalten. Liegt jetzt auf dem Dachboden rum... Also, ich kann nur jedem raten: Never buy a cockooo clock!

[@noodleegg]

oh haha

[@PreppyGuy007]

Translated for our English-reading friends ========================================================================= Funny story from my childhood: My grandparents had a cuckoo clock in the conservatory at a height of about 2 meters, and I was of course quite fascinated by it (I think I was about five years old). The special thing was, she had chains or a kind of pendulum at the bottom, with which you could set the time. So my grandma always introduced the watch with the chains to show me the cuckoo. Well, and when she went into the kitchen, I pulled on it myself. Long story short, the cuckoo came out, did "cuckoo" once and then the clock crashed fully on my head. Probably pulled too strongly. Had suffered a laceration for me, which had to be sutured in the hospital. To this day, I have a scar on my forehead. Oh, the clock was broken afterwards, the bird stopped in the middle of the movement. Lying around in the attic now... So, I can only advise everyone: Never buy a cockooo clock! ========================================================================= BB8: I have had that fear. For this reason, I always a molly screw, aka anchor especially for the eight-day cuckoo clocks. Those weights are heavy!

[@eltfell]

The cuckoo clock is the perfect souvenir, because it has got everything a proper souvenir has to have: It's ugly, styleless and ridiculous.

[@gabethet8458]

and clogs the laguage

[@WeisserPaladin]

And expensive, which is probably the most important attribute of a proper souvenir.

[@martinn.6082]

Difficult to transport as well.

[@recoveringsoul755]

they come in a variety of designs. Not all that expensive

[@forwardtothepast2411]

I have had my cuckoo clock for over 20 years, still works, and I love it

[@mudasirshahid3839]

Great

[@johnmorley8812]

My family got one from Germany in 2000 and it hasn’t missed a beat. Still works perfectly after 22 years.

[@runnerba]

They forgot one thing!!! Like any mechanical device, it needs maintenance! Any mechanical watch needs maintenance between 3 and 5 years, by a watchmaker (which is the period that lubrication lasts). Basic maintenance consists of disassembly, washing of the mechanism, general deep cleaning, reassembly, checking and correction of clearances and lubrication. If not this way, it will really break, it's NATURAL.

[@leowagner1366]

I have a nice, high quality mechanical clock that has lasted years without breaking. It has a little lever on the bottom which disables the cuckoos and chimes, which is pretty cool.

[@mathswithpete5078]

Oh that's harsh Andrew. I purchased an German electronic cuckoo clock at a reasonable price from a Queensland importer a few years ago. It runs reliably and a switch to turn off the cuckoo or reduce how loud it is on the side. Personally I don't mind the cuckoo call but I keep it at the lower setting. Whether or not it is traditional german is moot. It is an attractive unusual peice of wall furniture. At some point in the future I hope to comlpement it with a an electronic german weather house (please make a video on weather houses - they are quite interesting) and also an old fashioned mechanical barometer.

[@Inkyminkyzizwoz]

Just after you shot the cuckoo clock our living room clock started chiming the hour - how's that for timing?

[@ddemon4406]

I'm definitely buying one.

[@Azaghal1988]

Nearly spit out my coffee at "Swiss polka music"

[@Braun30]

The swiss connection for cuckoo clock traces back to Orson Welles' line in the film of 1949 "The third man". Since then it has been cited regularly when wanting to denigrate Switzerland but actually shows how far a demonstration of ignorance can travel.

[@JoeXTheXJuggalo1]

This was the first video that came up on KZbin when searching for Cuckoo Clocks. I was just looking into them because my sister recently found an old Cuckoo clock that does need some minor repairs. We want to repair it to give it to our father as a birthday because he is original from Karlsruhe Baden-Württemberg region of Germany within eyesight of the Black Forest. We wanted to give our father a piece of home and for the memories of his Opa going out in the woods with my dad when he was a little boy calling to the Cuckoo birds. We live in the US because my Oma married my Pawpaw that was a US soldier stationed in German after WWII. I do understand why you say that but Cuckoo Clocks do come with a switch that will turn off the Cuckoo part so it doesn't drive you insane.

[@ospero7681]

Good to see that Orson Welles has permanently imprinted the idea of cuckoo clocks being a Swiss thing on the American cultural mind. At least, his famous speech from the movie "The Third Man" is the only reason I can think of that these things would be considered Swiss by anyone.

[@NicolaW72]

Exactly.

[@runeodin7237]

Another reason (for me at least) for the myth of the Swiss cuckoo clock is the comic book "Asterix in the Alps", which features a Swiss hotel owner who instructs his guests to turn around the hourglass in their rooms every time he shouts "cuckoo".

[@karenholley8356]

What a great tribute! Immediately subscribed and clicked the notification bell (hope it doesn't drive you insane)! From 1982-1986, I lived in Frankfurt, Germany (known as West Germany, at that time). I love Germany. My biggest regret is that I never made the effort to learn the language as well as I should have. Another regret is that I never brought back a cuckoo clock, or a Hummel (see, "Begging His Share" -- representing to me, my only child and our family dog!)! I am 70 now, and I am holding out for a trip back to Germany so that I can finally rest in peace, one day, knowing that I made those two purchases! (I guess I'd better get on with it!)

[@VIDEOHEREBOB]

My clock ran for many years with no issues. They are beautiful. The only thing is trusting your repair person won't rip you off.

[@LeSpeederus]

It's not that noone in germany buys them, in the schwarzwald region they're somewhat more common but anywhere else you'll struggle to find one in any household.

[@andrewlankford9634]

Really? I had my heart set on smuggling myself into Germany and buying the first cuckoo clock I could find! I'm just cuckoo about cuckoo clocks. It's the culmination of 500 years of democracy and peace. But let me guess: they're all imported from India.

[@swanpride]

The cheap ones are. If you buy a good one, you can still get good old German handywork...but those are really expensive.

[@mikewallace8087]

Shall we heed the advice from a self admitted insane man not to buy a Cuckoo Clock ? Well, I am also insane and very happy to have a working Cuckoo clock in my life.

[@lukasd.4389]

My great grandfather was a clockmaker and my grandmas House is stuffed with old, at times weird clocks. In total i think there are 4 Kuckucksuhren there, not surprising as it is in the deepest reaches of the black forest. None of them are winded because the sound gets really annoying, but Sometimes when she has visitors she shows them working, and a real handmade one is actually a really cool thing for... well the 3 Hours guests are over

[@NoahSpurrier]

I used to have a cuckoo clock I inherited from my grandparents. It was from the 1970’s. I really liked it, but it was stolen. The part that breaks most often is the diaphragm of the bellows to pump the air to make the whistle toot. If you’re handy you can take off the old diaphragm and glue on a new one. It’s made of soft paper.

[@Chungustav]

Everyone smiles when they see and hear a cuckoo clock. The movements are mostly all Regula which are well made and relatively inexpensive to replace rather than repair if they ever wear out. Trust me. Everyone loves them here in the US. Sorry your so bitter

[@prackritibhaargava854]

You are so right… we bought one in Germany… but it doesn’t work properly.

[@PreppyGuy007]

Have you attempted to perform any maintenance to the movement? These clocks are not self-sufficient.

[@jampakbluesngrassneighborh4325]

Well, I love my cuckoo clock. I was the only one in my family who would take care of it. 1964 Black Forest. It costs a lot to be repaired every few years (a must). But to hear it cuckoo and the little Germans dancing is worth it.

[@hellothere9848]

3:58 Come to my house, where we have 8 chiming/striking clocks and counting... two of those chime every 15 minutes... the rest ever thirty... I'm so used to it lol

[@PreppyGuy007]

BRAVO! My friend's brother and his wife also have a lot of clocks. They are all synced with one another. Needless to say, I enjoy visiting their home quite frequently. 🙂

[@hellothere9848]

@@PreppyGuy007 I do quite enjoy always being able to tell what time it is!

[@JustinaLynn]

Some old cuckoo clocks do have little metal stands by the door so you can silent the bird at night. My grandmom had one from my grandpop when he was in Germany during WW2. It was her pride

[@AelwynMr]

Mine is relatively new and has a lever to pull up or down at its side to disengage the sound!

[@Danny30011980]

Well Germans DO also buy them. My granny had one back in the day. Probably bought on hols in the black forest ;-)

[@christiandrumr80]

@ "It will sooner or later break" "Germans wont buy them." In 1957, my German born grandparents (immigrants to the US) went to Germany and bought my dad a cuckoo clock. That clock remained in my families possession until it was lost in Hurricane Katrina in 2005. It ran non stop and kept perfect time. In 1991, My Grandmother visited her family in Germany and bought another clock. She gave my dads clock to me and I replaced the bellows due to the material leaking air. It ran non stop for a total of 48 years. I have family in Germany that own them. Some keep them running 24x7, Others, just have them for decor. Delicate, yes, but doesn't fall apart from normal use. Yes, some clock makers would rather work on something thats very expensive and turn their nose up at Cuckoo clocks, which is why I made some great money as a kid, repairing antique cuckoo clocks and selling them.

[@glizta42]

My grandfather’s german clock is over 75 years old and works just fine

[@allrighter0413]

Okay I'll go buy a Cuckoo Clock just because you asked me not to.

[@michellehernandez9790]

We bought two while stationed in Europe and we love them so beautiful

[@SouthCountyGal]

Friends don't let friends get cuckoo clocks. My friend just gave me one, now I have to wonder about our relationship.

[@NajwaLaylah]

I like the idea of mechanically animated clocks.

[@MHParkison]

A fitting memorial. I trust you will have good memories to recall and enjoy at random moments.

[@martingackle5808]

The Black Forest Cuckoo Clock are a precious jewel out of the treasure box of south-german culture, it is pure philosophy: do you see the difference in morning motivation

[@martingackle5808]

Xcuse me, waking up to a bird seems to me more beautiful than to someone with a bell.

[@martingackle5808]

I don't wake up, because someone thinks, i've slept enough, i have to go to work now, but because it is a brandnew day to lay some eggs.

[@fox8340]

I absolutely love this video. The way you narrate history is so entertaining. you did a great job. Thank you. I love history.

[@richardtee2513]

The video was pretty mediocre but I'm glad that you are happy. It's like performing a basic card trick in front of a poodle. The trick is simple but the look of glee on their simple minds is exhilarating.

[@sophierobinson2738]

We had a cuckoo clock for years, passed around among the 3 of us kids. My brother sent it from Germany.

[@jamesalles139]

got me some RewBoss and coffee. Great way to wake up!

[@Joseywales414]

This not all true, when I lived in Germany I seen several German homes with them. I mean yes it’s not everybody’s typical clock in any country but it’s a matter of historical culture value. If you went back in time you would have seen them more often. They are a thing of beauty ,art and family heirlooms . Now everyone carries a cell phone and sometimes with they didn’t carry that. They can be more trouble than you want.

[@gabrieldettmannb4509]

Stereotypes really screw tourists over.

[@One_and_Forsaken]

I visited the clock in Triberg, many moons ago and tasted yummi blackberry wine there they sell. Also i bought a cuckoo whistle as a souvenir (and made one for myself). Not quite as annoying as the clock yet the sound is very much the same :)

[@ajfrostx]

Nice to see my village mentioned - our clock in Schonach, well, it's the first in actual Schwarzwald I guess? And way nicer than the one in neighbouring Triberg!

[@toothlesstoe]

The antique well-built cuckoo clocks were made to last, and they will for many generations, assuming they're repaired every several decades or so.

[@vintagesimplexfirealarmsof6440]

lol i brought a cuckoo clock the same day this video came out and its running right now and its old to

[@alias8378]

I´m german. I have a cuckoo clock. I love the sound. I got the adress for a workshop specialised on those clocks. In 7 years I never needed the workshop - the clock still works fine. But: good cuckoo clocks are expensive. I paid over 500€ for mine, and it´s not bigger then 30cm.

[@runnerba]

They forgot one thing!!! Like any mechanical device, it needs maintenance! Any mechanical watch needs maintenance between 3 and 5 years, by a watchmaker (which is the period that lubrication lasts). Basic maintenance consists of disassembly, washing of the mechanism, general deep cleaning, reassembly, checking and correction of clearances and lubrication. If not this way, it will really break, it's NATURAL.

[@rokker101]

I love my black forest clock and it can be switched off ..if it does die on me it's still great to look at ... if you don't like them that's your problem not mine

[@markblanchard88]

I've got 17. All antiques that had not functioned in decades. I repaired/restored them all and they are running now in my clock room. Two are one only clocks. One made for the 1894 worlds fair and one made for the Deutsche turner-bund in the late 1920s.

[@MOB_8619]

I've got a cuckoo clock that's around 100 years old. Still running and keeping time

[@swanpride]

There are quite cute cockoo clocks, but yeah, the majority of those things are neither beautiful nor sound well nor have anything else going for it. If you really want a cockoo clock, one should always buy one from a master, which costs quite a buck, so you need to be able to afford it and really, really want it....

[@Patton243]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. To some extent he's right the souvenir cuckoo clocks under $200 are usually garbage. However, If you spend some money on a good one like I did it will last a long time. I would recommend getting the 8 day cuckoo clock over the 1 day. The 1 days seem to be those "souvenir" cheepos.

[@itsmebatman]

My grandparents had one that worked for decades. Of course after they passed away nobody wanted to have it so I guess it is now idling in my uncles basement or on some scrapyard. Just saying a well made one should not break. But I have no idea why anyone would buy a cuckoo clock in the first place.

[@PreppyGuy007]

I can answer that, "nostalgia". In addition, you don't have to spend money on batteries. Have you seen the price if batteries lately? I would never consider buying a modern, battery-operated cuckoo clock. The thing sounds awful. A simulated cuckoo sound with echo and water running in the background. To me, it sounds if someone is going to the bathroom in the background. I'll stick to the classic.

[@stuartylad]

Former clock repairer here. The truth is that all clocks need attention sooner or later, whether mechanical or battery. You can stop the cuckoo clock from cuckooing by either removing the corresponding weight, flicking the catch on the door, or, in some clocks, pulling the lever on the side or underneath that's designed to specifically stop it cuckooing. It's true that they're fiendishly difficult to get to keep good time and anything within 5 minutes a week accuracy is pretty good going but it is a novelty item and clocks all react to temperature and humidity changes. My own experience with my own cuckoos is that either they get wound every time you pass it in a high footfall area or I forget all about it and walk into the room to find it stopped with the weights on the floor. I think that people fall into two distinct categories; those who like the sound of clocks ticking and those who don't - you can then sort out extremely easily who the people who like cuckoo clocks are against those who don't. For me they're a guilty pleasure. I have all of my "good clocks" proudly on display and the cuckoo clocks are in the music room out of the way and competing with the piano!

[@amymanley3405]

I’m sitting here next to my 100 year old cuckoo clock from my great-great grandparents. It did need new bellows but otherwise it works beautifully. You get used to the cuckoo and don’t notice it every single time. I love hearing mine!

[@DavidFraser007]

My Parents bought a cuckoo clock when we were on a family holiday in the French Pyrenees in 1969.

[@PreppyGuy007]

I found this video it be quite entertaining. In reference to the sounds/ music/ movement that these clocks provide may be annoying to you sir, but to others an enjoyment to watch and listen. Maintenance. Yes, I agree, it does take quite a bit of care to maintain the functionality of a Cuckoo-Clock. However, if you inspect, clean, and oil the movement every two years, the mechanics will response to such care. These clock are unable to take care of themselves. So keep that in mind. "Eight day Cuckoo-clocks". Do not pull the chain to lift the weights without first holding the weight in your hand. These weights are heavy, and will apply an excessive amount of stress to the gears. The bellows. Yes, they are fragile and can overtime become brittle. Let's think now, what causes things to dry out, HEAT and a Dry Climate. Which means, do not hang your clock near any places that produces heat. This alone will cause premature aging to the bellows causing them to crack. Not to mention dry out the "Real" wood that these clocks are constructed from. Shock can also decrease the life of your Cuckoo-clock. Just as shock to our electronic devices can render them useless if not properly taken care of. I purchased a Cuckoo-Clock from Germany in 2017, runs great, and keep perfect time. It keep up with my digital atomic clock. I just purchased another this past month waiting for it to arrive.

[@AelwynMr]

Don't buy a _cheap_ cuckoo clock. Mine is usually silenced and has been working perfecly for almost 20 years with no maintenance at all. It's quite accurate for a mechanical clock, and only needs winding once a week. It was expensive, though, no souvenir.

[@Gebieter]

As a German myself, the only places I have seen them were in some restaurants as wall decorations. They were not working and simply intended to look nice in the background.

[@PeterPanQuails]

I bought one online. Shipped to Australia. Loving it.