Story By: Georgina Jadikovska, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash

A German man who owns over 700 cuckoo clocks from around the world has said he needs over a week to change the time on just half of them.

Werner Stechbarth, 74, from the city of Munich in the German state of Bavaria keeps over 365 of his 700 cuckoo clocks in his 25-square-metre living room, adding that he needs over a week to change the time in spring and autumn.

He said: “I already started changing the time on them. It should be fun and I don’t want to rush it.”

Stechbarth, who is a former Lufthansa chef, invested thousands in his hobby and spent over GBP 10,300 on batteries over the past 40 years.

He had 200 cuckoo clocks just two years ago and has bought the rest since then.

He said it all started in 1975 when he received three cuckoo clocks as a present: “My mother gave me three clocks as souvenirs from Acapulco in Mexico.

“I can’t stop collecting them. I buy every clock I like. I don’t have a financial limit.”

Stechbarth confessed: “I can’t even get to some of the cupboards!”

Due to lack of space, half his cuckoo clocks are currently stored in his basement.

The 74-year-old man also said the incessant ticking does not bother him: “It’s like meditation! I don’t need sleeping pills in the evening, I just listen to my clocks and relax.

“Every morning before breakfast, I take a tour to see which clocks have stopped and then change the batteries. Every evening I listen to the clock concert before going to sleep.”

However, he admitted his collection can become annoying when watching TV and the cuckoos chime every hour.

At the moment there are 365 pieces decorating his living room, and 50 are handcrafted and considered very valuable.

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