Important Collectors’ Watches, Pocket...

Geneva, Oct 14, 2007

LOT 35

?Member of the Royal House of Romania? J. F. Bautte & Cie, à Genève, No. 69308. Made for a member of the Royal House of Romania, circa 1850. Very fine and rare, thin, 18K gold and painted on enamel, hunting cased pocket watch.

CHF 2,500 - 3,500

EUR 1,500 - 2,100 / USD 2,000 - 3,000

Sold: CHF 14,160

C. Four-body, ?bassine et filet?, engine-turned, reeded band, the front cover decorated with the finely painted coat of arms and the motto ?Quae Nocent Docent?, the back cover with multi-colored translucent champleve enamel initials ?AC? beneath a Royal crown. Hinged gold cuvette. D. White enamel with small radial Roman numerals, outer minute track. Blued steel ?Breguet? hands. M. 38 mm., 17???, frosted gilt, bar caliber, 8 jewels, cylinder escapement, three-arm gilt balance, blued steel flat balance spring, index regulator. Cuvette signed. Diam. 45.5 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AA

Very good

Case: 3-15-56

Good

Slightly rusted

Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense

Dial: 3-01

Good

HANDS Original

Notes

Bautte & Cie.

Jean-François Bautte was born on March 26, 1772. He was apprenticed at twelve, successively learning the crafts of case maker, engine-turner, watchmaker, jeweller and gem-setter. He was barely nineteen years old when he put his name on his first watch. Two years later, in 1797, Bautte took as partner the case maker Moulinié and the firm Moulinié & Bautte in 1804 was joined by the watchmaker Jean Gabriel Moynier, the name of the company first becoming Moulinié, Bautte & Cie., then being renamed Moulinié, Bautte & Moynier. By this time, Bautte was the most important dealer in Geneva.