The cuckoo clock is back

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The cuckoo clock is back . Don’t tell me that you knew that the first cuckoo clocks were made in the Black Forest in the mid-18th century. And don’t turn your noses up, either. When did you last see a cuckoo clock? All right then, so your gran has one of those poo-coloured chalets from which a featherless, startled-looking bird emerges on the hour, wide of mouth and eye, garbling a whoop. But then, it can’t be easy having a stick up your bottom.

It was, of course, only a matter of time before gran detritus became cool, but who’d have thought it would be the CC? Cuckoo clocks are back, but not as we knew them (though I’m tempted to bid on a vintage Schmeckenbecher model on eBay). These are chic, pared-down cuckoos with tidy habits, John Pawson-like housing, quartz light detectors (to keep the cuckooing down to a dull roar at night) and smart colours.

To understand the rebirth of the cuckoo clock, we must analyse the evolution of the clock over the past 20 years. One word comes to mind: boring. Consider the large Eighties farmhouse pine clock (to match the scrubbed pine table), the faux French station clock – very early Nineties – to complement the faux French country furniture, and the mid-Nineties, greedy bastard banker trio of clocks – if it’s 5pm in London, it’s midday in New York, an ungodly hour in Tokyo and I’ve got a big enough kitchen wall to hang three clocks. The apogee of the bad clock movement, though, is the recent, smug minimalist projection clock, which beams the time onto the wall. This is pretty damned clever until an unsuspecting guest stands in front of the projection and the light shows up his or her dandruff. If you own any or all of the aforementioned clocks, then for goodness’ sake, take them down immediately.

The new cuckoo is irony embodied. Why? Because nobody needs a clock any more with all the other timekeeping devices that we have about our person – the phone, computer and BlackBerry. The cuckoo clock is both the new tongue-in-cheek work of art and the new fashion statement. “The cuckoo clock represents a popular movement in design, the modernising of an old classic,” says Miranda Harrison, group buyer for Conran stores. Harrison’s bestseller is a silver cuckoo (£210). “Buyers like the sense of individuality a cuckoo clock represents; there’s a hint of humour and a lot of style about it,” she says. “And have you noticed that so many clocks are just plain boring?”

The cuckoo clock is now so hip that BMW has created a version for the Mini dashboard. On the hour, a small red Mini emerges and circles the clock, complete with vrooming and beeping noises. Technically speaking, this makes it a car clock rather than a cuckoo clock, but I think we all know where BMW is coming from...

See our Great Collection of Antique Grandfather Clocks.

Your Ridgeway Grandfather Clock, Your Legacy

See our Great Collection of Antique Grandfather Clocks.

Your Ridgeway Grandfather Clock, Your Legacy In life, there are only two things that are certain - taxes and death. Indeed, throughout the ages, people have been trying to cheat both, and though taxes can be cheated sometimes, trying to cheat death has proven to be futile. Everybody dies eventually, and as fearful and terrifying as it may sound, it's inevitable. So, instead of spending time and money trying to cheat death, why not prepare for it? This way you'll live on and on, if only in legacy.

Keep It In The Family

In this day and age, people are always out to get each other, often trying to get money and property that don't belong to them in the first place. When you're dead and gone, of course, you'd like your family to be taken care of. After all, you don't want the house you worked so hard to build or the Ridgeway grandfather clock left to you by your parents to fall into the wrong hands.

The best way to safeguard your family's assets and properties, not to mention your Ridgeway grandfather clock, is to make a living will. This way, you can be sure that what belongs to your family stays with your family.

Keep It Real

Writing a will can be quite daunting, but it's actually quite easy enough, especially if you have your family's best interest at heart. Writing a will is just a matter of putting your wishes on paper and signing it. If you want your wife to have the house, you can write it in your will. This way, there won't be any conflict with your children.

You can also stipulate on bequeathing items, regardless of value, from Ridgeway grandfather clocks to socks, trophies to baseball cards. If you want your eldest son to have the Ridgeway grandfather clock or your youngest daughter to have the car, you can simply say so and your wishes will be the final word.

Keep It Legal

Of course, it's always best to take extra measures. Though a living will written by hand and bearing the deceased's signature will often suffice, you can't be too careful. Often when valuable items, such as Ridgeway grandfather clocks, houses, and cars, are bequeathed to certain family members, others take offense and may want to fight the will in a court of law.

When writing a will, it's best to do so in the presence of objective witnesses who don't stand to gain from your wishes. Furthermore, your living will should be examined by an attorney and notarized. This way, your wishes will be safeguarded and cannot be fought in any court of law.

Indeed, whether you're a rich man or a poor one, making a living will is something that you should do as soon as possible. After all, life is fleeting and you'll never know when it's your time to go into the light. You don't want to leave your family in disarray and you certainly don't want to leave chaos. Whether you're leaving a Ridgeway grandfather clock or a bagful of old photographs, your will should stand as your legacy....


See our Great Collection of Antique Grandfather Clocks.

Grandfather clocks are a hit across time zones

See our Great Collection of Antique Grandfather Clocks.

Grandfather clocks are a hit across time zones .


Thrissur: It may sound like the ticking of a bomb but a true collector knows grandfather clocks are the mark of a classic. And now the granddaddy of Western clocks is undergoing a revival in Kerala.


A workshop in Kottapadi village in Kerala specialises in making grandfather clocks, which are finding buyers from all over the world.


“We send these clocks to UAE and Singapore. We manufacture 30 clocks at a time and then we send them,” proprietor of Royal Industries, George Tharakan said.


For these craftsmen, making a clock is not all in a day's work. First, the wood – either mahogany or rosewood – has to be cut and smoothened. Then, the case is made and brass holds tied.


“We take wood in bulk quantity and cut it into pieces. We make in a batch, if it's big clocks. We make 20 clocks in a batch, if they are small ones,” a craftsman VV Joshy said and then explained how there is a sense of fulfillment once they can listen to the sounds of their success.


These clocks sell for anything between Rs 16,000 and Rs 35,000 each. They are becoming popular once again but they have been around for more than three centuries, proving that these masterpieces are truly timeless.

See our Great Collection of Antique Grandfather Clocks.