Yet to be officially opened, the small boutique opened by Reuge in the heart of Geneva in December is proving very popular. Unlike in the stores of its prestigious horological neighbours, the customers here are primarily locals. People who are familiar with the company's mechanical music boxes and automata already, but also watchmakers attracted by the obvious paralllels with their own industry.
Inside, visitors can find around 80% of the Reuge collection that can be seen on the company website, from the small Cocoon music box for under 300 Swiss francs up to huge wooden cabinets that can play several melodies and even add percussion accompaniments. The best-seller, however, owing to its contemporary architecture, is the Francastel with its transparent glass case.
After getting off to a good start during the Christmas shopping period, the store is once again popular at this time of year as people look for original Valetine's Day gifts. The singing bird automata are undoubtedly romantic, but the Reuge "Swinging Heart Modern" music box in the shape of a heart is a great way to hide that surprise ring in a romantic presentation box whose mechanical melody will start automatically as soon as the box is opened.
