The first cuckoo clock dates back to around 1730. It was a product of the almost 100 years of clock making in the Black Forest of Germany that started sometime in the mid 17th century. Though there are a number stories of who built the first clock, Franz Anton Ketterer has been given the credit. The first cuckoo clocks were primitive compared to those made later. Their movements were made with wooden plates and gears. Many of the cuckoo clocks had square faces painted with water color paints. As time went on, the clocks became more and more sophisticated in their designs and decorations. The birds' wings and beaks were animated and some decorated with feathers. The many themes decorating the cuckoo clocks were only limited to the imagination of the painters of the faces for the clocks. They included scenes of family, hunting, military motifs and more. Some were even decorated with porcelain columns and enameled dials.

Chalet Style Cuckoo Clocks (10)
German Cuckoo Clocks (21)
Wall Clocks (17)