Cuckoo Clock - 8-Day Old Traditional Tavern - August Schwer

Cuckoo Clock of the Year Award Winner - 2017

Also available with wooden weights:

Add carved wooden weights for +$195

8-Day Black Forest Cuckoo Clock

• Movements: Four Beer drinkers, mill wheel, moving bell in tower, two sets of spinning dancers
• Night shut off: Automatic - Exclusively from Fehrenbach’s !!!
• Music: Featuring 2 separate, alternating songs on each hour
• Songs: Edelweiss and The Happy Wanderer
• Additional features: Premium 5-year warranty
• Size (cm): 70 x 58 x 29
• Size (inches): 27.6 x 22.8 x 11.4

This large and well-appointed cuckoo clock was the first place award winner for the 2017 Cuckoo Clock of the Year award. This award is granted by the VDS, or Black Forest Clock Association, and is voted on by the public. To win first place is a coveted title within the industry and is a mark of artistry and craftsmanship. It is meant to resemble an old style tavern where weary travelers could stop for a cool drink and a good meal. The local tavern is also an excellent place for the townsfolk to get together and have fun after a long day – a fact reinforced by the clock’s extra set of dancers, which is a very unique element.

Beginning from the far right-hand side facing the clock is a raised dance floor. Upon it are placed the cuckoo clock’s first set of dancers that will spin and twirl as the music plays. They are dressed in outfits traditional for courting couples in the Black Forest. The scene continues towards the left to the cuckoo clock’s second moving element; a group of four German men that will drink their beers in time to the cuckoo calls. A grey German Shephard dog stands at attention by the table, patiently waiting for his master to finish his drinking session. More subtle details, such as a small wood sledge, a dark stained barrel and an equally dark Black Forest water pump are artfully placed to give realism to the scene. They sit at a dark wooden table which is surrounded by bright white gravel stones, providing just the right amount of contrast. Next to the water pump, which is set almost directly beneath the clock dial, is an authentic German Bier Frau. She is more colorfully dressed than her male counterparts and is seen emerging from a rustic wooden door with several large, full beer mugs which she expertly carries with minimal effort. Around her, a few chickens peck about in front of the water pump. Their placement amongst the white gravel stones provides a delightful splash of color along the base.

To the Bier Frau’s left is the cuckoo clock’s next moving element; a turning mill wheel. As the music plays, the mill wheel will turn which is the perfect balance to the dancers located on the opposite side. It is surrounded by rustic elements such as green forest moss, pine trees and a roughly hewn base upon which it sits. A tiny bunny rabbit is located right in the middle of the support strut for the wheel – a perfect example of an element that might be missed upon first glance, but which allows the viewer to discover new details over the cuckoo clock’s lifetime. The moss and other forest scenery become denser as they wrap around the far left hand side of the clock. Here is located the cuckoo clock’s most impressive element – a German man driving a horse cart laden with supplies to re-stock the inn’s beer cellar. He is surrounded by trees to represent that he has just returned from a journey along the long forest roads to town. His draft horse is painted a dark brown which complements the man’s natural wood cart. The horse also has a light mane and fetlocks, further tying the scene together. The man is dressed in lighter colors differentiating him from the inn’s patrons and is fully bearded, suggesting that he is either the owner or a worker at the inn.

The case of the cuckoo clock itself which forms the “Chalet” is also artfully constructed. A colorful Edelweiss flower is placed upon the rustically carved base of the clock. Moving upwards, a half-timbered façade provides contrast between the darker base and top portions. The shutters are an eye catching red and serve to guide the viewer’s gaze throughout the scene. A wrap around balcony can be seen on the right-hand side slightly over-hanging the young dancing couples. Small details like a mounted stag’s head, sheaves of wheat and a squirrel reinforce the forest theme. The top portion of the cuckoo clock has a balcony upon which a second set of couples will dance as the music plays. Delicate gingerbread work on the balcony and on the cut-out that under hangs the eaves of the roof are a mark of this clocks’ attention to quality. The cuckoo door itself is also quite unique – when the door opens it reveals a lighter frame of wood that ensures the cuckoo bird does not become lost amongst the clock’s other elements. The roof itself is hand-shingled with two small dormers and an impressive bell tower set at its peak. The bell will move back and forth as the cuckoo calls.

#5.8879.01.P