12 unique icons of Mary and hymns
Hymns play on the hour
Volume is adjustable and may be silenced at night
Book explaining the artwork and hymns included in English and Spanish
Clock is electric (110/120v) (plugs into standard US wall outlet)
In the west-central part of Switzerland in the canton of Bern is a valley known as the Emmental, a dreamy, hilly landscape dotted with wooden bridges, cheese dairies, castles and idyllic farms. Loetscher’s “Edelweiss Chalet” clock pays tribute to this beloved region with its finely crafted rendering of a typical Emmental-style chalet. The region is also famous for its woodcarving craftsmen, two of whom you’ll find represented here on either side of the chalet’s edifice.
This Emmental-style chalet has a seesaw centered just above the face of the clock. Together with the clock’s tick-tock the seesaw moves up and down and gives the clock a very cheerful character. The stones at the foot of the flag pole are collected from around the Brienz mountains and the flowers are made of sand that is carefully collected from the banks of Lake Brienz and colored by hand.
Loetscher once again salutes the most dearly loved fictional character in the history of Swiss literature—Heidi! This time we find hand painted Heidi standing in front of a traditional Emmental-style chalet. Her chicken is freely wondering towards Heidi. Off to the right of scene is a wooden flagpole bearing the Swiss national flag. And, of course, as with all Loetscher chalet cuckoo clocks, the flowers and boulders sprinkled throughout the scene are gathered and crafted from sand found from the banks of Lake Brienz.
The centerpiece of this chalet cuckoo clock is a figurine of Loetscher’s beloved Heidi holding a precious kid in her arms. In the middle of the scene a goat, perhaps the kid’s mother, looks up lovingly at Heidi and the kid. Behind Heidi a pair of wooden Alpine skis, a very familiar sight in this region, lean against the front of the house.
The centerpiece of this chalet cuckoo clock is a wooden figurine of our beloved Heidi holding a bunch of flowers in her hands. On the right side of the chalet is a pair of wooden Alpine skis—a very familiar sight in this region—lean against the front of the house. On the far right side of the scene a Swiss flag waves in the cool mountain breeze from atop a hand-carved wooden flagpole, and next to that rests a fountain well, also hand-carved from locally sourced twigs. On the far left side of the scene sits a bushy green pine tree. The shores of Lake Brienz provided the stones from which we carved the flowers, displayed on both sides of the chalet. Completing this exquisite picture are the contrasting bold red eaves against the rich colored brown of the chalet’s edifice.
This model is Loetscher’s ode to the traditional Brienz-style chalet, a common sight in and around Brienz. The simple elegance of its design and its meticulous craftsmanship speak to the character of the people inhabiting this mountainous landscape. From generation to generation, they hold dear their devotion to quality and their appreciation for the simpler things in life.
Loetscher’s “Woodcutter’s Chalet” model distinguishes itself from the others with its brightly painted red-colored eaves and gables decorated with yellow-colored flower carvings. When music plays at the half hour, the waterwheel rotates and the seesaw swings up and down. Never a dull moment at the “Woodcutter’s Chalet”!
The ‘Winemaker’ model is another truly extraordinary piece in the Loetscher collection for two reasons. This chalet cuckoo clock was modeled on an existing building in the Canton of Appenzell. The first element that greatly sets this one apart is the striking white-painted tower on the chalet’s left side. The three windows running up the face of the tower are adorned with flower boxes overflowing with colorful blossoms, and flanked by shutters painted a vivid red. Another feature that makes this model so exceptional is its nod to Swiss winemakers. At center stage you’ll find a winemaker carrying a sack of freshly picked grapes, as well as a couple of elegant snow-white geese sunning themselves in the grass.
Barry, the St. Bernard dog, takes center stage on this magnificent chalet cuckoo clock. When music announces the hour, the turntable inside the small hut begins to rotate, creating the charming impression that the puppies are chasing one another. One of the most distinctive features of this piece is the Brienz-style roof that’s carved from a single piece of wood.
In early summer, Swiss beekeepers living in the mountains surrounding Lake Brienz reap the benefits of alpine wildflowers from which they obtain Swiss mountain honey. Tending beehives is a vital tradition that has been practiced in the Swiss Alps for countless generations. This delightful clock portrays a scene where Barry, the St. Bernard dog, stands guard before a typical Brienz chalet.
In 1920, Loetscher built their very first cuckoo clock, the design of which was inspired by the chalet housing Loetscher’s workshop. That very same chalet also inspired the look and feel of this model, so, as you can imagine, it holds a very dear place in Loetscher’s hearts. This chalet has many intricate and realistic details such as the stones placed on the roof that was used to prevent the snow from sliding down on to pedestrians.
In 1920, Loetscher built their very first cuckoo clock, the design of which was inspired by the chalet housing their workshop. That very same chalet also inspired the look and feel of this model, so, as you can imagine, it holds a very dear place in their hearts at Loetscher. This is the Amber color version of the Classic Brienz Chalet.
Loetscher once again salutes the most dearly loved fictional character in the history of Swiss literature: Heidi! Barry, the Saint Bernard dog, and a snuggly little puppy stand guard in front of the chalet. And, of course, as with all Loetscher chalet cuckoo clocks, the flowers and boulders sprinkled throughout the scene are gathered and crafted from sand found from the banks of Lake Brienz.
Loetscher’s “Goats at Play” chalet cuckoo clock pays homage to these wonderfully spirited animals. This model presents a scene where two goats stand on either side of the chalet, facing each other. With the sound of the cuckoo bird our goats make a playful leaping motion into the air. Below our goats’ hooves are colorful, vibrant Alpine flowers that have been crafted from stones found on the shore of Lake Brienz.
