Featured Wood Music Box w/ Romance Swiss Works

Wasn't sure where to put this post so chose furniture...
This music box has a Swiss Romance Works, plays Wind Beneath My Wings. From what I can figure Romance was a line of Reuge? The only other mark is the S on the key. Cannot for the life of me find another like this, and what are the storage compartments for? The slides are removable and with the grooves where they are I am thinking for something specific? Maybe it is home crafted??? Thanks for taking a look!

 

Definitely purpose built for something. How deep is the compartment with the dividers?

 

2 1/4", a deck of cards fits perfectly in the front one, but the other one is too big and the other ones are too small.

 

Does the music box just play when you wind it up? Or does it also depend on position of lid(s)? We know it's not terribly old because of the song it plays. I feel like it should have held some kind of memento, something of sentimental value, but...? Would an audio tape cassette fit in any of the slots?

 

Well made but does not appear to be a factory piece.

 

The music box alone is readily available for the home craftsperson, so a perfectly reasonable surmise.

 

@Bronwen there is a lever on the side to pull out to play the music

 

The letter "S" I believe stands for "Sanyo" a Japanese music works and box maker. The works in this box is about 50 notes with a large diameter cylinder and sells for a couple of hundred. This is an expensive box sold retail from $300 to $500 when new. Have no idea as to its purpose. Oh, and there has been some canoodling between the Swiss music box works makers and Sanyo in recent years. I wonder why the hasps? Perhaps for the brass look? Or, perhaps the were childproofed later by the owner?

 

The on/off is the push pull lever on the side. It might automatically shut off at the end of the tune or the lever may have to be pushed in after the tune has started to activate the end of tune stop. Nice find.

 

In looking at the photos again, I note the return spring on the start lever. Because of this spring I think the stop is activated once the start lever is released.
(Did I mention that I was once a pardner in a music box store)

 

great info Gus, thank you. My dad is our picker, well at the same place the next day he found this one... when you turn the key the lid to the side with the heart pops open. It is key wound on the bottom and the music should play when the lid opens but it does not work. The left side apparently fashioned to hold something? They key says ROMANCE on it. There is no way to view the works unless we take it apart.

 

I have a feeling that there is an on/off somewhere which may be in the off mode. I think that the works may be in the left compartment. In the cut-out circle is a brass pin or screw. Does it move? Should it pop up when the item (?) is taken out and start the music? Another possible on/off is the movable arm. Perhaps it has to be in a certain position? Another option would be the lower round pin in the rectangular cutout in the center brass. Perhaps, just move it towards the hinge to turn it on? You don't show the bottom of the box. Can you access the works from there by removing a few screws? Sometimes, the whole piece that has the cutout will easily lift right out with the help of a dental pick. Right now all you have is a nice box whose use is unknown. Dare to be daring and investigate!