Extreme Places: The biggest cuckoo clock

It is one of the most popular souvenirs from Germany: the cuckoo clock. In the Black Forest you can find the largest specimen in the world — as big as a two-storey house. Part V in our series "Extreme Places".

Why a cuckoo call, of all things, should be used to announce the time remains mysterious to this day. Apparently a clockmaker in the 18th century was working on an alarm clock with the crow of a cock, but struggled to replicate the "cock-a-doodle-doo" with its five tones. Thus he exchanged the cock for a cuckoo. Whether this legend is true is unclear — as is the answer to the question of where the cuckoo clock was actually invented. Today, in any case, it belongs quite firmly to the Black Forest region — just like cherry gateau and the traditional hat known as a Bollenhut. The ornate wooden box with clockwork, pendulum, weights and cuckoo is a symbol of German tradition and craftsmanship around the world.

A cultural asset in huge dimensions

Watchmaker Ewald Eble from the small town of Triberg is also a master of this craft. His family has been producing clocks since 1880. Together with his son Ralf, he has designed a very special model: the biggest cuckoo clock in the world. 60 times bigger than the traditional version, it's as tall as a real house. The clockwork alone measures 4.50 by 4.50 meters (14.7 x 14.7 ft). Meanwhile, the massive wooden cuckoo that appears at the window on the first floor every half an hour, weighs a stately 150 kilograms (330 lbs). It took the two masters five years to complete. Everything was made by hand using traditional methods, as the clock was to work mechanically, just like the classic small version.