Discover The Unique History of Mechanical Music, Part II

Inlaid music boxes, musical jewelry boxes,music boxes with combs and cylinders were
wooden keepsake boxes, and other types ofcreated. David Tallis in "Music Boxes: A Guide for
mechanical collectibles are favorite items for someCollectors" states: "By definition, the musical box is
music box and antique collectors. Let's continue toa mechanical instrument in which tuned steel
discover the unique history of music boxes andtongues are set in vibration by means of pins set
other mechanical music.The barrel organ was thein a rotating cylinder or disc, and the invention
first form of mechanical music that was made inwas made as a result of all the developments
1502. Following this, the carillon was the nextalready mentioned. The method of setting up
mechanical music item that was made. Thismusic on a barrel was well known and had been
musical instrument plays a musical scale on a setused for many years on barrel organs and
of bells. Initially, they automatically played chimescarillons, so it was only a short step from the
on the hour, but later when the advantages ofgong in the repeater watch to the tuned steel
the barrel organ were recognized, barrels weretooth which could be plucked by a note. The man
pinned with melodies of increasingto whom the invention is attributed is Antoine
complexity.After carillons, attempts were made toFavre, and the date of the invention was 1796.
produce watches that chimed. Daniel Quare inThe authenticity for this date is taken from the
1686 made the first chiming watch. The watchrecords of the Society of Arts in Geneva for the
struck the hours and quarters or a bell when the15th February, 1796, which reported that Monsieur
stem was pressed and released. Parisian, JulineFavre had found the means of producing a carillon
LeRoy, realized after Quare's invention, that itwithout bells or hammers." As a result of Favre's
would be necessary to make the watches thinner.invention, musical boxes as we know today came
He proceeded to do this by taking the bell outinto being.There indeed is much history behind the
and allowing the hammer to strike the inside of amusic box and antique collector collectibles. The
case. After this, sometime during the second halfnext time one looks at an inlaid music box, musical
of the 18th century, he was also credited for thejewelry box, wooden keepsake box, and other
invention of the spiral gong on which hammerstypes of mechanical music, their unique history
strike. It appears as if Breguet made a watchcan be remembered and appreciated.Copyright
with repeating gongs in 1785.Soon after the2006 Monique HawkinsMonique Hawkins is the
inventions of the carillons and chiming watches,owner of Monique's Music Box.