Don't bother looking elsewhere, Reuge is the true master in its field. Established in Sainte-Croix since 1865, in the Canton of Vaud, this family manufacture cultivates an art we thought lost: the music box. And ‘art’ is not an exaggeration when it comes to Milarius: a chariot race set in Ancient Rome, comprising over 2,200 components, 144 notes and a mechanism designed by the atelier that has achieved the incredible feat of letting a different horse win each time!
Don't bother looking elsewhere, Reuge is the true master in its field. Established in Sainte-Croix since 1865, in the Canton of Vaud, this family manufacture cultivates an art we thought lost: the music box. And ‘art’ is not an exaggeration when it comes to Milarius: a chariot race set in Ancient Rome, comprising over 2,200 components, 144 notes and a mechanism designed by the atelier that has achieved the incredible feat of letting a different horse win each time!
We are transported back in time to the Circus Maximus Arena, which could seat up to 100,000 spectators in the 1st century BCE... When the lever is activated, five chariots pulled by ten horses are set in motion and move in a straight line. The race begins and bets are placed by spectators, transforming a complex mechanism into a playful artwork yielding an entirely random result.
The race takes place without music in order to amplify the sound of the galloping horses. Only when all the horses have crossed the finishing line does the tune of the “Victory Parade” sound, which many will recognise from the film Ben-Hur with Charlton Heston (1959).
The production of such a music box takes around one year, during which the Reuge craftsmen employ their world unique expertise. Particularly when it comes to delivering such a profound and organic sound. Miliarius is a limited edition of 50, sold at 119,000 Swiss francs (€110,000).
And of course, SoBARNES has the anecdote to allow you to impress at dinner parties (whenever they next happen): Miliarius was the name of the charioteer who won over 1,400 of his 4,000 races at the Circus Maximus.
Infos : Reuge.com
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