Very nice condition varigraph in wood storage box

This unit appears to work, and looks flawless

Here's the weird part - there is a note (see photos) from the previous owner bequeathing the varigraph to his business partner if he should die, dated 1969....I find this eerie and a bit strange that someone would have a witnessed will for one item - so it makes me wonder how valuable this varigraph was to him, or what memories he had attached to a relatively common business/ art machine