Any recommendations on Cuckoo clocks. I'm looking for a gift of either one-day, or 8-day clock with beer drinking involved for around $500.00 or less.... Yes, this is a serious inquiry. I'm going this fall and will be going through Bavaria and looking for either a name or shop for a quality clock.
Those that don't know what I'm talking about need not respond ;)
Thanks.
Reg
I had a cuckoo clock once. I thought it was pretty cool. Until I went to bed and tried to sleep. The clock dd not last through the night.
Just sayin'.
I tend to think that the biggest selection of cuckoo clock shops aren't in the state of Bavaria (though they will have them), but are rather in the state of Baden-Wuerttemburg where the Black Forest region is and where the clocks are supposed to have originated from. (Stuttgart, etc)
Another thought - I would lean toward just buying one online from a reputable shop rather than spend a lot of vacation time hunting in shops for one and then have to figure out how to safely get it home (or pay a chunk to ship it home). That's just me, maybe you're planning a trip just to hunt for a clock! ;)
Here's a post from Lane from Mansfield on this subject. I saved it as I'm also interested in a wonderful cuckoo clock.
"We bought a clock for a friend in Triberg at a placed called Oli's. Oli is a a Master Carver and although he does not have the volume that House of 1000 clocks has he did have a very good selection. He explained that to be a Master Carver you have to train & then go before a Government panel and take a test to be licensed as a Master Carver. Also, he said they have to re-test every 5 years to maintain the Master Carver certification. The carvings on his clocks really impressed us and they have "mcc" on the face of the clock indicating the clock was made by a Master Carver. Oli also has a real Cuckooo bird mounted in his store. He also will ship clocks to the States. Word of caution. Oli is a talker and will take 30 minutes to an hour telling you about cuckoo clocks but it is most educational. In addition if you need a place to stay while in Triberg he has nice and reasonable rooms to rent above his shop. The waterfalls in Triberg are beautiful."
I'm betting, however, that these master carver clocks may be mostly above $500. You might also browse through http://www.mycuckooclocks.com/beerdrinkers.html, http://www.hubertherrclocks.com/ and http://www.blackforestgifts.com/cuckoo_clocks.html
Suggetion.....Go to www.google.com and type in Cuckoo clocks+beer to get an idea of what is available. For example I came up with this website that shows lots of beer drinking cuckoo clocks......http://www.thefind.com/homefurnishings/info-cuckoo-clock-beer
Although I passed through the Black Forest I didn't have time to stop and look for a clock until I got to Munich. (Not the greatest place to look, but there are cuckoo clocks.) I actually purchased my clock in Lucerne, Switzerland. A touristy town, but the price for an equivilent clock was cheaper there than Munich.
The clock I purchased is an 8 day clock and has a small bar that you pull to disable sounds after 8 or 9 pm and turns them back on again at 7am.
So glad I purchased it! It has beer drinkers, a small watermill that turns, a guy with a hammer, and dancing figures above the clock.
bought one via st-goar germany
their site is :
www.clocks-gifts-germany.com
they have quite a collection to select from
mike
I found the well known Christmas shop, Kaethe Wohlfahrt, had a selection of cuckoo clocks. They said they could eliminate the VAT(around 19%) if you had them ship it for you, and the shipping charge would be equal to or possibly less than that. Other businesses that deal alot with tourists might offer the same. Wohlfahrt has their flagship store in Rothenburg, but I've seen them also in Bamberg (where I asked) and Nuernberg.
www.houseof1000clocks.com and they have 4 stores in Triberg and 1 in Kaiserslautern. www.house-of-black-forest-clocks.com is in Niederwasser. Good luck.
Some very good suggestions, thanks for the help.
Reg
Larry, you are correct about those clocks being over $500.00. You can find one for under $500.00 at Oli's but it would be a small one. With the euro equal to $1.47, a $500.00 clock would be selling for about 340.00 euro. The one I purchased for a friend was 663.00 euro (in 2004) plus shipping of 69.00 euro. Converted to the $ it was around $900.00 at that time plus roughly another $95.00 for shipping. This was a very nice 8 day clock. We shopped at House of 1,000 clocks, Brunos and Oli's. Almost bought one at the House of 1,000 clocks but decided to check other shops and that is when we just happened upon Oli's. The animals carved on the clock by Oli are more realistic than the ones at the House of 1,000 clocks. The deer looked more like a deer and the cuckoo bird looked more like a real cuckoo. I purchased 2 clocks in Rothenburg on prior trips and although very nice I noticed mine had the mass produced animals and cuckoo bird. If serious about purchasing a cuckoo clock I would check both places in Triberg before deciding. The House of 1,000 clocks has some beautiful clocks and quite frankly I would not have noticed the differnce in the carvings if Oli had not pointed them out. Also, Oli does not have anything to do with the inner workings of the clock or the music. They are usually all produced from the same place so most shops have the same quality in that regard. BTW, if you wish to see a picture of a real cuckoo bird pm me with your email address and I will send it to you.
I bought a clock in Rothenburg ob der Tauber at a store suggested by Rick, just accross from the Wohlfahrt store, called Friese. The owner gave me a very efficient run down of my alternatives- what and why and how much. What I had expected to be a long, arduous,confusing and expensive experience turned out to be quite simple and direct! The shipping cost was about $50 (I bought a few other things)and my clock was E259.. p.s. when he saw I was carrying Rick's book, I got a discount!
Triberg is definitely the place for cuckoo clocks! At the touristy House of 1000 clocks you can choose which dancing figures you'd prefer, and choose your tunes. Pick a clock with the switch to turn off the music and cuckoo at night. We chose a clock that needs to be wound only once a week.
Also don't miss the hike into the Falls while you're there. At times you'll find Alp horns being played or yodelers - what ambiance!
In Gutach, just north of Triberg, you'll find an open air museum with crafts, dancers, terrific food etc.
