Where do they find the time? Holiday shoppers seek hand crafted cuckoo clocks at Christkindlmarket

A Last-Minute Gift Idea

Christmas is less than two weeks away – and there’s a last-minute gift idea at the Christkindlmarket in Daley Plaza.

A Tradition Continues

Frank Weschler said he has visited the traditional German holiday market downtown every year for nearly three decades.

“First, we go to go to the candy hut. After that we pop over to the glühwein hut and get yourself your ceramic mug. And lastly, you got to go look at the cuckoo clocks,” he said.

Clock seller Niklas Wendler brings the authentic hand-crafted clocks from the Black Forest in southwestern Germany.

“You will not find these from anywhere else than from the Black Forest,” Wendler said.

The mechanical clocks are ingeniously engineered to use gravity and a pendulum to summon the cuckoo call when the hour strikes.

The carved wooden clocks display scenes from German towns, like children playing and adults working – chopping wood, cooking food, and pulling rope.

“Different figurines, different moving parts, different stories,” Wendler said. “You can take so much time to look at these.”

There is a comedic quality to the clock. It’s fun and functional.

“That’s what the Germans love, function in all of the things they do – and as soon as you combine the aesthetic and the function, that’s where we start here,” Wendler said.

It’s an item that eventually becomes an heirloom.

Brian Boeke, a market visitor said he admired the craftsmanship of the clocks. “I look at ‘em every year we come here and one of these days I’m going home with one,” he said.

The clocks can range in price from $35 up to $1000 depending on how big and complicated they are.

The Christkindlemarklet in Daley Plaza opens at 11 a.m. every day through Dec. 24. If you’re looking for a unique and thoughtful gift, be sure to stop by and check out the hand-crafted cuckoo clocks.

Q: Where can I find the Christkindlmarket?

A: The Christkindlmarket is located in Daley Plaza.

Q: What are the hours of operation?

A: The Christkindlmarket is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day through Dec. 24.

Q: How much do the cuckoo clocks cost?

A: The clocks can range in price from $35 up to $1000 depending on how big and complicated they are.

Q: Are the clocks authentic?

A: Yes, the clocks are authentic hand-crafted clocks from the Black Forest in southwestern Germany.