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THBVintage Swiss Reuge 72 Note Wooden Music Box
About Seller
522 South Pineapple Avenue
Sarasota, FL 34236
United States
Sarasota Estate Auction specializes in a wide variety of furniture, antiques, fine art, lighting, sculptures, and collectibles. Andrew Ford, owner and operator of the company, has a passion for finding the best pieces of art and antiques and sharing those finds with the Gulf Coast of Florida.
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Two ways to bid:
- Leave a max absentee bid and the platform will bid on your behalf up to your maximum bid during the live auction.
- Bid live during the auction and your bids will be submitted real-time to the auctioneer.
Bid Increments
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| $0 | $10 |
| $100 | $25 |
| $250 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,500 | $250 |
| $7,500 | $500 |
| $20,000 | $1,000 |
| $50,000 | $2,500 |
| $100,000 | $5,000 |
| $250,000 | $10,000 |
About Auction
LiveJun 8, 2025
Over 900 lots will be offered in day 2 of our 2 day auction weekend! There are multiple lots of important fine art from landscapes and etchings to old masters and portraits. We have a Fantastic Rare 1890s Russian Faberge Imperial Desk Clock, Oriental Rugs, Sterling Silver, Rare Books, Old Master Paintings, Asian Antiquities, and more! Sarasota Estate Auction sarasotaestateauction@gmail.com
View Full Catalog (953)
- Lot Description
Vintage Swiss Reuge 72 Note Wooden Music Box. Simple elegant exterior, cylinder and gears within, wind-up key on underside. Marked Reuge on multiple surfaces within and on the key.
Condition: We cannot guarantee the working condition of any mechanical piece. As Is.
Size: 8 x 4 1/2 x 2 3/4 in.
In 1865 the Swiss clock and watchmaker Charles Reuge began making watches fitted with musical movements, a revolutionary design that was immediately popular with the families in his village of Sainte-Croix. The Balcon du Jura, a sprawling plateau in the Swiss mountains, had become a mecca for clockmakers and inventors in the early part of the 19th Century, and the swift success of Reuge’s invention led him to open a family-run shop. His son Albert converted it into a music box workshop upon Reuge’s death in 1886, and in 1930 his son Guido built a massive factory after acquiring several competing companies in the wake of the global economic collapse. With over 300 employees at its zenith, the company was one of the most successful in Switzerland throughout the 1930s and through World War II, but changing tastes and turmoil in Europe led to downturns in their fortunes in the late 1940s and 50s. In 1960, desperate to diversify, the Reuge Manufacture rebranded itself as a producer of luxury mechanical pieces, with their top item being singing mechanized birds after acquiring a Parisian company called Bontems, as well as Eschle in 1977. Guido, who had invented a ski binding that supplemented the company income in tough times, decided to sell off the family business in 1988 as he had no heirs to leave it to. The new owners and investors diversified by opening production facilities in America and China to increase their output substantially and broaden their market. In the 2000s the company acquired several other competitors, including Arte in Italy and Mermode Freres in France, and became almost the sole industrial force in the city of Sainte-Croix. This eventually led to the creation of the Institut de la Mecanique d’Art in the original factory grounds in 2016, making it one of the largest training facilities for hand-made watch workers in the world. The COVID-19 pandemic led to a swift economic downturn, and the American division of the company, headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota, ceased to produce new works, focused solely on repair ever since. In 2023 the company was acquired by independent Swiss watchmaker De Bethune, with owner Denis Flageollet installing Clara Martin as artistic director to take the company in new directions. To this day, Reuge music boxes are considered some of the finest ever made, and vintage and antique pieces are highly sought by collectors the world over.
Condition
We cannot guarantee the working condition of any mechanical piece. As Is.
- Shipping Info
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SHIPPING INFORMATION·
Sarasota Estate Auction IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR SHIPPING! BUYER MUST ARRANGE SHIPPING. All shipping will be handled by the winning bidder. Sarasota Estate Auction recommends obtaining shipping quotes before bidding on any items in our auctions. To obtain a quote, please email info@premiershipment.com. Be sure to include the lot you are interested in and address you would like the quote for. Refunds are not offered under any circumstances base on shipping issues, this is up to the buyer to arrange this beforehand.
BIDDER MUST ARRANGE THEIR OWN SHIPPING. Although SEA will NOT arrange shipping for you, we do recommend our preferred shipper Premier Shipping & Crating at info@premiershipment.com You MUST email them, please DO NOT CALLl. If you'd like to compare shipping quotes or need more options, feel free to contact any local Sarasota shippers. You can email any one of the shippers below as well. Be sure to include the lot(s) you won and address you would like it shipped to. Brennan with The UPS Store #0089 - 941-413-5998 - Store0089@theupsstore.com AK with The UPS Store #2689 - 941-954-4575 - Store2689@theupsstore.com Steve with The UPS Store #4074 - 941-358-7022 - Store4074@theupsstore.com Everett with PakMail - 941-751-2070 - paktara266@gmail.com
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- Payment & Auction Policies
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Available payment options
We accept all major credit cards, wire transfers, money orders, checks and PayPal. Please give us a call at (941) 359-8700 or email us at SarasotaEstateAuction@gmail.com to take care of your payments.
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- Size
8 x 4 1/2 x 2 3/4 in.
