The Quality and Spirit of Switzerland
Loetscher clocks are a piece of Switzerland because of the materials within and because of the stories they tell.
Locally Sourced Swiss Materials and Craftsmen: The stones, the sand, and the
linden wood are sourced locally, from nearby Loetscher’s home town of Brienz. Brienz is a cozy little Alpine village located right in the heart of Switzerland, sitting at the northern shore of the breathtakingly beautiful Lake Brienz. This peaceful, idyllic hamlet of just over 2,000 souls has developed a reputation over the centuries for its artisans in the woodworking industry. These gifted craftsmen and craftswomen are admired across the continent for consistently producing the highest quality woodworks. Not surprisingly, Brienz boasts a world-renowned woodcarving school.
Swiss Culture and Stories: The world-famous stories of Heidi the charming orphan and Barry the legendary rescue dog are intertwined with depictions of other Swiss culture, architecture, native wildlife, and traditions.
Loetscher built their first clock in 1920, and they're deeply gratified to say that the same loving care and craftsmanship that went into their first clock, still goes into every Loetscher cuckoo clock built today, making each one a truly timeless timepiece. Loetscher is also proud to say that they're the only genuine Swiss chalet cuckoo clock maker in existence today.
Loetscher operates two facilities in different parts of Switzerland that have specific
duties in the manufacturing of the clocks. All of the initial steps involved in building the clocks are done in the woodworking facility in Brienz, a small village in central Switzerland in the canton of Berne. Their woodworking artisans take wood that has been aged several years (to ensure it won’t warp or crack in humid or dry environments) and hand-carve every chalet and all the figurines that adorn them. This initial process takes time, and it’s the most costly way to build clocks, but it’s what distinguishes Loetscher from the rest.
The finished clock bodies are then brought to their assembly plant in Kreuzlingen, by the lake of Constance, where the clockworks, music boxes and gears that enable the figurines to move are assembled and positioned into the clocks. And then finally, the weights and pendulums are added, completing the last steps of assembly.
