Cuendet-Develay & Co

1 Spieldose / 1 music box


Universelle, no serial

Universelle Interchangeable Musical Box by Cuendet-Develay Fils et Cie, c. 1895

For single-air hollow cylinders, with 57 teeth in comb (extreme bass tooth missing), 5-inch (12.5 cm) diameter capstan winding wheel, open-spring motor below the bedplate, sprung governor, nickel-plated movement and control levers, patent plaque, grained case with facsimile label and refinished lid, wd. 19 ½ in. (50 cm), cylinders 6 in. (16 cm), bright unrestored playing condition, missing case handles, split in lid, case finish poor.


Accompanying the musical box are 31 cylinders, housed in a later oak case.

Literature: Arthur W.J.G. Ord-Hume, p. 259

The "Universelle" was subject to English patent no. 11388 (18 February 1891), American patent no. 474520 (10 May 1892), French Brevet no. 3246 and Deutsches Reichspatent no. 64487.

Patentee Samuel Cuendet claimed that his was "the only musical box with undestroyable dampers".

Breker summarizes: A musical box with most unusual design and a large repertoire of music.