Jean-François Bautte came from a family of modest workmen. Very soon an orphan, he was placed in an apprenticeship at the age of 12, i.e. in 1784, and was trained in the different trades of being a case fitter, engraver, watchmaker, jeweller, and goldsmith. He signed his first creations in 1791. On August 1, 1793, he joined forces with Jacques-Dauphin Moulinié, under the corporate name Moulinié & Bautte, case fitters. On October 1, 1804, with the arrival of Jean-Gabriel Moynier, the firm became Moulinié, Bautte & Cie, seller of watch making-jewellery making. It was then that Jean-François Bautte developed his own manufacture in Geneva that brought together under the same roof all the bodies of trades of watch making from that time. He died on November 30, 1837 and was buried in Plainpalais Cemetery in Geneva. The workshops of Jean-François Bautte were grouped around the sales shop situated on Rue du Rhône. With his workmen, he produced watches, jewellery, music boxes…he excelled in the “watches of shape:” watches disguised in miniature musical instruments, in butterflies or in flowers, and even a watch in the form of a perfume-dispensing gun. He was also one of the first fabricators of extra-thin watches, of which he made one of his specialities. In addition to his store in Geneva, he had branches in Paris and Florence. He also traded equally with Turkey, India, and China. Recognised by his high quality creations, his popularity exceeded the borders of Switzerland. The name of Bautte appeared in the writings of Alexandre Dumas, père, the writings of Balzac in his “Letters to the Stranger,” and in the writings of John Ruskin. Among some of his clients included Queen Victoria, the duchess of Clermont-Tonnerre. On December 20, 1837, the Jean-François Bautte & Cie Company was formed, seller of watch and jewellery making, by his son Jacques Bautte and his son-in-law Jean-Samuel Rossel. The company was then repurchased by Constant Girard-Gallet, owner of the Swiss watch Manufacturer Girard-Perregaux (La Chaux-de-Fonds) in 1906. Some of his creations are on display at the Girard-Perregaux Museum in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Brand: J.F. Bautte & Ce a Geneve N58866 - Échapement à cylindre, quatre trous en rubis Type of watch: Pocket watch - Mechanical stem-wound Material case and inner lid: 18K yellow gold (touchstone tested) Functioning: Not operational - Balance is stuck. Measurements case: width 37 mm (1.46 inch) x height 52,5 mm (2.17 inch) x thickness 6,7 mm (2.64 inch) Hallmarks: Engraved in inner lid: J.F. Bautte & Ce a Geneve N58866 - Échapement à cylinderm, quatre trous en rubis Origin: Switzerland Period: ca. 1860 Engraverings: Beautifully overall engravings of leafs and frills, with guilloche on the back. Embellishments: Almost fully intact enamelled flowers on front and back. Condition: - Overall: Very good, especially regarding the age of the pocket watch. - Case: Very good - Almost no sign of use, only a bit enamel missing from leafs. - Dial/Face: Very good - Perfectly legible, only a few details missing from X's and V's. - Glass: very good - Seemingly no scratches, only at XII. - NOTE: movement: not operational - Watch hands: very good - Winding key: not present Weight: 32,10 gram (20,64 dwt) Nett gold Weight case: 19,60 grams Reference number: 16326-0217 The jewelry on our pictures is NOT Photoshopped! Comes with certificate. Shipping insured and registered (or pick it up). Outside EU import duties etc. may apply.