Claphams National Clock Museum Super Fun Time!

I gotta be honest, I definitely expected less from Claphams Clocks, but this was honestly a pretty sweet experience. From the Komey music box (a larger penny-charged jukebox type player from an old boat that connected Auckland to Thames), to the novelty clock wall, to the wall of cuckoo clocks, this was super neat.

We learned that cuckoo clocks work like this, with cuckoo pipes! I guess I could've learned from Wikipedia like you are now, but alas, I learned it in person instead! hahah... Anyways, some neat info there. That's why they all make the same sounds...

It started out with Archibald Clapham collecting clocks around the beginning of the 20th century, and eventually he sold all the clocks for a modest price to the Whangarei District Council and they started this neat museum with them! It started with 400 clocks, but now they have almost 1000 clocks, almost all of them unique and something different for us! Here's some of my faves:

A huge sun dial out front. I couldn't get the whole thing in one shot while cowering from the rain.

At the front of the museum, this is just a selection of the types of clocks we'll see!

These eye-clocks are crazy. One eye is hour, one is minutes.

We're learning about the Komet music box! "also known as the Giant Komet,  made by Weissbach & Co, Leipzig, Germany in 1890, is one of our special exhibits. It is operated by a main spring tripped by a halfpenny placed in a slot. This releases the mechanism to play a tune by revolving a 60cm disc."

Jacqui loves the novelty clocks!

This little guy whistles instead of donging or cooing. Uses some reeds and pipes and what-not.

Though it costs thousands of dollars, it'll run forever as long as the temperature in the room fluctuates a few degrees once in a while. Pretty neat, chemistry!

Another picture of the Komet, cuz it was très neat.

The wall of cuckoos! A mix of German and Swiss designs! They originated in Germany though, despite most people thinking Switzerland.

Jacqui's best imitation of a Cuckoo Clock. My best wasn't good enough for the blog!

Watches are clocks too! 

This one was pretty neat. On the hour if it's wound up, the birdie makes noises, the "water" flows around and I think it dongs as well. Pretty neat, anyways. 

Jacqui posing with Archibald Clapham!