Cuckoo-clock. But they could have been with another bird! (3 photos)

Many people know this watch. But how old is this design and where did it come from?





It is officially believed that the cuckoo clock appeared in the 18th century. In fact, everything happened much earlier. In 1629, one of the German nobles presented the head of Saxony, Augustus, with a cuckoo clock. Only this clock did not look the way we imagine - there was no figurine of a bird, but there was an imitation of a cuckoo’s voice that struck every hour.



But the structure that actually contained the figurine emerging from the window was created in the 18th century. And also in Germany. The clock looked almost like a modern one - the case was in the shape of a house with a sloping roof, from under which a cuckoo rode out on a spring.



By the way, initially the craftsmen wanted to make a figurine of a rooster - because “crow” is more loud. But they refused due to difficulties with voice imitation. The dial was single-handed, showing only hours, no minutes. Over time, the clock was changed and improved: a minute hand and two counterweights in the form of cones were added.