Although often casually related to Switzerland, cuckoo clocks actually trace their history back to the 17th-century Black Forest of Germany. This rich history, in combination with an often handmade grade, means that cuckoo clocks vary considerably per the craftsman or manufacturer. But most cuckoo clocks share common components, such as distinguishing weighted pendulum systems and targeted audio box mechanisms. If the creator of your clock isn’t available, try some basic troubleshooting tips prior to taking the timepiece into the clock repair shop.

Musical Maladies

A traditional musical cuckoo clock creates melodies with a gear-based audio box located within the clock compartment. To access the box, then you are going to have to remove the weights and access your clock’s back panel. If the music doesn’t play in any way, look for an arm that extends out of the clock’s equipment housing to the audio box; you could be able to tighten the screw attached for this arm, enabling it to successfully activate the audio box once the cuckoo calls. If the music doesn’t stop after the cuckoo, locate the side-mounted lever to the audio box — typically, this lever clicks into a hole as the gears rotate to block the music. If the lever misses the hole, utilize needle-nose pliers to gently bend the lever till it catches the hole once the rotating cylinder passes, stopping the music.

Clockwork Cures

Each time stands as possibly the most common cuckoo clock problem. To place the current time on many clocks, loosen the nut at the middle of the hands around the clock face, move the minute hand clockwise until you get to the desired moment and retighten the nut. To adjust a traditional cuckoo clock’s timing, move the pendulum itself — typically a decoratively carved piece of wood — upwards toward the clock to generate the clock move faster or pull it gently downward to slow the clock. Never pull on the clock’s weights.

Sound Solutions

Some contemporary cuckoo clocks include convenience-oriented features such as a silencing switch or a nighttime shutoff switch; if you clock doesn’t produce music or noise, make sure that switches such as these have yet to be activated. If your clock doesn’t take time, listen closely to the tick-tock sound of the pendulum — it should be regular and rhythmic, with all exactly the exact same beat between the “tick” and also the “tock.” If that isn’t the situation, amount your clock till it creates a regular, rhythmic tick-tock sound.

More to Know

If your clock runs well but the bird does not come out, then check to get a latch on the cuckoo’s doorway. Oftentimes, a little cable connects the bird’s platform, normally just under his tail, to the peak of the doorway — reconnect the cable and make certain that nothing obstructs to door to receive your bird back on the right track. To extend the life span of your cuckoo clock and its own music box, then take the timepiece to your clockmaker to get a cleaning and oiling each three or four decades. For issues that reach beyond the fundamentals, contact your clock’s manufacturer or your local clockmaker.