North Coast Imports, Inc.

[via The Long Now Blog ]

We can hardly keep up with what the cuckoo wizards come up with! There are so many new models - it's hard to say enough about each delightful new creation. As a matter of fact, this clock was a complete surprise. It's brand new and loosely based off of our popular " Crow and Fox " model. Introducing the " Birds and Grapes :" Here are also two new beautifully carved pieces from master carver Christophe : ...and finally two inexpensive MUSICAL creations, perfect for the gift-giving season:

It is an exciting time at North Coast Imports! We are very pleased with the new additions to our collection. Check out this beautiful piece from our master carver Christophe : This was inspired by a rare antique clock - and we have the original in our /museum collection! Of course the new clock is larger, more elaborate, and MUSICAL with a large 36-note Swiss-made music box mechanism. A true collectors' item!

Via the Automaton Blog ... ...from an exhibition by artist Juan Pablo Cambariere. The Ethiopian Caterpillar from Hodinkee on Vimeo . ...from Henri Maillardet , circa 1820.

This is a fantastic focus on our very own Rombach und Haas! See Ingolf and Conny Haas build their fantastic new creations.

It's hard to believe that the movie that popularized the ultimate Time Machine for a new generation is itself now 25 years old. Here's some footage of the movie that has Eric Stoltz before Michael J. Fox was hired as the main character.

From the Long Now Blog : Discovery News has a feature in which astronomer Robert Hurt of NASA’s Spitzer Science Center uses space simulation software Starry Night to explain how Earth’s view of five major constellations will change over time, like Ursa Major.

From the Long Now Blog : 10,000 Years of star motion Credit: NASA, ESA, and G. Bacon (STScI) Apparently astronomers focused Hubble on a certain region of Globular Cluster Omega Cantauri several times over 4 years. They were then able to calculate how each of those stars will move in the next 10,000 years. You can see a video of this after the jump on their site here .

One of the quality and trouble-free movements found in many of our clocks is the Quartz chiming mechanism by Hermle. These are excellent, accurate, and durable devices which are made in Germany and sound great too! The Hermle quartz movements are workhorses in the clock world, because they can provide premier sound and accuracy for many different kinds of clocks. The mechanisms also provide lots of options for how and when the clock chimes. Here's a diagram of the version of the movement which includes a moving pendulum: Setup instructions for this movement are very simple: 1. Insert batteries. Because of a special coating that Energizer brand batteries uses on their contacts which is not compatible with this devices contacts, it is best to use any other brand besides Energizer. Duracell or almost any other generic brand will work fine. If your clock starts chiming erratically, or (if so equipped) the pendulum stops, please install new batteries. 2. If your clock has a mo...

We're slowly adding to our online Museum! This is a photo, video, and descriptive website dedicated to the history of Horology and significant mechanical devices. Some of the clocks are part of the North Coast Imports collection and are available for sale, and some of the pieces are owned by our friends. We just wanted to take an opportunity to make the pictures and information on these fine clocks and watches available to the general public. Check back often, and you'll see the online virtual collection grow all of the time! Check it out at www.NorthCoastImports.com/museum

We're pleased to present another fine NEW watch from CCCP. This is the 1973 model with its fresh design which is somehow both modern and retro: It also features a glass back, giving you a view of the beautiful and dynamic mechanism.

We are please to introduce a NEW MODEL! This delightful Bavarian Chalet is our newest cuckoo clock from Sternreiter. It's full of color and good humor - a perfect gift for someone to remember you by! It instantly recalls the lighthearted ways of Southern Germany, depicting a typical Bavarian-style chalet. The flowers are hand painted, and there are lots of excellent woodcut details. AND it plays music! It's a perfect purchase this holiday season. Don't miss out! ...and if you like this clock, be sure to check out the similar, but more elaborate eight-day version:

Via Make ...comes this amazing video of an x-ray trip through a barnacle-encrusted lump from a 17th century shipwreck. It reveals the workings of a very sophisticated, gorgeous watchwork mechanism inside. The researchers (from National Museums Scotland in Edinburgh) who used this x-ray technology are excited about the prospects of using it on future, similarly encrusted underwater finds. Via Nature : The watch was found on a wreck believed to be the Swan — a small warship that sank off the west coast of Scotland during the English Civil War. She formed part of Oliver Cromwell's forces that attacked the Royalist stronghold of Duart Castle in Mull, UK, but succumbed to a violent gale on 13 September 1653. The resulting reconstruction of the watch shows plenty of decorative touches and exquisite attention to detail. The top and bottom plates are held together by square-section Egyptian tapered pillars, first used around 1640. Other parts of the mechanism are engraved with a floral des...

Here's a fantastic video of the 600th anniversary of the Prague Astronomical clock. From The Long Now Blog : BB reader Kerray says, “The people who worked on it are themacula.com, duber.cz and michalkotek.com, and the projection itself was done by avmedia.cz. Four months of work, 5000×1200 resolution, 2x Christie 18K HD projectors.” . Fantastic! This is a must see. There are all kinds of symbolic visuals on the passage of time. The 600 Years from the macula on Vimeo .

Here's another one of our very popular models . We've just added new pictures and a video of this fine clock to our website!

We've been keeping up on the latest news concerning our founder, and my Great Uncle Schleutermann's cuckoo clock , which he built for the Alpine Alpa restaurant in Ohio in 1972. I'm go glad to see the dedicated folks in Sugar Creek, Ohio are restoring and re-installing the clock for all to see. Be sure to contact them for more information: For information or to make a donation, call (330) 852-9191 or send to GSDA Cuckoo Clock Fund, P.O. Box 165, Sugarcreek, OH 44681. They are raffling off our very popular Sternreiter Kissing Couple clock to raise money for the endeavor.

(This model also has some NEW pics on our website - check it out! ) (We've blogged about this new option before. We are offering several of our cuckoo clocks with the option of authentic bone hands and wooden weight shells !) (Also, more pictures available here! ) (...and more NEW pictures for this one too.)

Here's a great organ clock at one of our favorite museums in Triberg - the Heimatmuseum. There is even a zither player!

We're adding new photos and video footage every day. This way you can see more of the very fine details in our timepieces. Still, nothing compares to seeing them in person. Contact us to find a dealer in your area today!

We love to provide video footage of all of our clocks online. Here are two more for your viewing pleasure!

We're pleased to introduce a new watch that will be available at the end of the month. Introducing the Space Light

Here is an excellent video for troubleshooting your cuckoo clock. If your clock is not running and not keeping time please check this video out. Remember that all wire bending and adjustments described in the video should be done VERY slightly. Clocks from North Coast Imports are always extensively tested and any adjustment you make should be to a very small amount. Click Here for more helpful articles on the proper care and operation instructions of your lovely clock.

Here's a snippet from one of our favorite television shows of all time:

We're busy uploading new footage every day! Check out our beautiful and inexpensive Aachen clocks!

We're uploading new footage right now of our very popular and very special Long Bahnhäusle cuckoo clock. Read more about the carver here .

via Cabaret Mech Theather

For some reason, one of our most popular models has slipped through the cracks when we built our NEW website . The Brahms Tambour with quartz movement in American Cherry Finish is a lovely and very popular piece. It's classic lines fit in both traditional and up-to-date environments. Check it out on our website:

Here's a great, old video that's definitely worth posting here. Hamilton Watch Company presented this in 1949. [Via Makezine ]

Here's something interesting in the world of gear cutting. The video is pretty self-explanatory. [Via Makezine ]

The Museum Speelklok was on my list to visit on my last trip to Europe, but unfortunately we couldn't fit it in. We'll definitely try hard to make it next time! Here's a great video. It looks like they have an outstanding collection of all things horological and mechanically musical! Check out the violinola orchestrion! Organ clocks of course... Wow.

Here's more cool stuff, courtesy of the Automata Blog ... Dates to about 1890, assembled by the firm of August Lasseur, who leased entertainment novelties such as this for public venues. Lasseur would maintain the machines, collect the revenues, etc., in exchange for leasing their space, much the same as is done today with vending machines. Fitted with a 6-tune Paillard music box, it plays two songs on the drop of a coin. The internal rack of stereoscopic cards allows the viewer to see a 3-D image, which in this case is a naughty picture of a pretty girl. The rack slowly rotates, and another picture soon appears. Each coin drop shows about 4 pictures to the viewer, and when the music ends, so does the show.

Does your cuckoo clock not cuckoo? First, be sure to read the instructions (PDF) carefully. Then, view our comprehensive videos on properly setting up your cuckoo clock. There are also more articles on proper set up and troubleshooting on our /instructions page. If all else fails, check this video out: Notice at the end of this video that some shutoff switches for the cuckoo call are clearly printed on the side, and some are a small black loop hanging under the bottom of the clock. Carefully push this loop all the way up or all the way down to engage the cuckoo call. Click here for more details on the shutoff switch.

I thought it might be interesting to draw up a timeline for the developments in horology and time. I've mined some of the better information from Wikipedia to put together this snapshot of horological inventions and discoveries. 12,000 - 30,000 BCE (BC) - Artifacts from the Paleolithic that suggest measurements of the moon's motion. From Wikipedia : Lunar calendars were among the first to appear, with all years having twelve lunar months (approximately 354 days). Without intercalation to add days or months to some years, seasons quickly drift in a calendar based solely on twelve lunar months. Lunisolar calendars have a thirteenth month added to some years to make up for the difference between a full year (now known to be about 365.24 days) and a year of just twelve lunar months. The numbers twelve and thirteen came to feature prominently in many cultures, at least partly due to this relationship of months to years. 2600 - 2400 BCE - Stonehenge 3 II From Wikipedia : The timbe...

Traditional, mechanical clocks have brought life to homes and galleries for hundreds of years. Over time they have evolved into a role of more than a functional tool. More than a passive wall covering, clocks have become important and exciting Objets d’ Art in the modern home. These pieces are kinetic sculptures that also happen to tell time. A young group of Black Forest artists are interested in exploring their regional icon, the cuckoo clock, and allowing it to evolve into modernity. North Coast Imports is proud to distribute these creations, and we've devoted an entire separate website to the hundreds of / design clocks available. There are a few standard clocks available, and there are also hundreds of one-of-a-kind pieces where the artists have used these base models as their canvas to create new expressions in Black Forest Clock Art. We've just uploaded pictures of dozens more NEW models that were recently created. Be sure to check out www.NorthCoastImports.com/desi...