 The Bernese German Zytglogge translates to Zeitglocke in Standard German and to time bell in English ; ' Glocke ' means ' bell ' in German , as in the related term ' glockenspiel ' . A " time bell " was one of the earliest public timekeeping devices , consisting of a clockwork connected to a hammer that rang a small bell at the full hour . Such a device was installed in the Wendelstein in Bern – the tower of the Leutkirche church which the Münster later replaced – in 1383 at the latest ; it alerted the bell @-@ ringer to ring the tower bells . 
