Created in the early 1950s, Hönes cuckoo clock workshop is situated in the beautiful Black Forest region of Titisee, close to the picturesque lake which attracts visitors from all over the world.
The cuckoo clock cases and wood carvings on the cuckoo clocks are all produced locally by traditional craftsmen and women who have been creating these beautiful cuckoo clocks for generations. Hönes is one of over 100 small often family run, companies in the Black Forest region licensed to produce these exquisite cuckoo clocks.
Cuckoo clock production evolved from a Winters’ activity into an all year round one. Many of the smaller manufacturers of cuckoo clocks only supply the German market, but Hönes is one of the larger ones rapidly gaining world wide renown.
The cuckoo clocks are all made with either one day movements or eight day movements. In the musical one day cuckoo clocks the music is played on the half and the full hour whereas in the eight day cuckoo clocks the music is played only on the hour. The most commonly used tunes are “The Happy Wanderer” and “Edelweiss” which are played alternately.
Many of the cuckoo clocks made by Hones feature animated figures, often with humour in mind – often German humour! Beer drinkers often feature on the chalet style cuckoo clocks as do wood cutters and travelling clock sellers. Tradition is still the key with Hönes cuckoo clocks, with the hunter style featuring animals, birds and nature themes, though the popularity of the musical chalet style cuckoo clocks is catching up quickly.
