Cuckoo clock collectors Roman and Maz Piekarski spend 3 days putting 750 timepieces forward an hour - by hand

As the clocks go forward and most people find themselves spending an unreasonable amount of time trying to work out how to change the digital clock on the microwave and in the car, they should perhaps spare a thought for this pair who have a much bigger job on their hands.

Brothers Roman and Maz Piekarski own the world’s biggest collection of cuckoo clocks and have spent the past three days moving 750 timepieces forward one hour - by hand.

Roman, 71 and Maz, 69, have spent five decades sourcing their pendulum-driven machines, which are on display at their 'Cuckooland' museum. Roman said: “It takes two to three days but we really enjoy working with these types of clocks.

“We eat, sleep, breathe and live cuckoo clocks - it's so important. It would be nice if there were more people like us out there, who can dedicate themselves to doing something similar to what we've done.”

Maz and Roman's remarkable hoard all come from a 25-mile area in the Black Forest, Germany, where the vintage timepieces were first manufactured. And among their revered collection is possibly the world’s most famous cuckoo clock, which was made for Frederick I, the Grand Duke of Barden, in the 1860s.

Roman says visitors come from all over the world to see the museum, which is in Tabley, Cheshire, and they are often left 'gobsmacked'. He said: "People are absolutely, well and truly, gobsmacked. I can honestly say that in 35 years, we have never had a disappointed visitor - everybody loves coming round.

"When we do guided tours, we put the clocks at different times so they are going off all the time. You won't believe how many adults go running round when they hear the cuckoo clock going off, because they've got to see the cuckoo when it comes out."