A gold and enamel snuff box, Jean-François Bautte & Cie., Geneva, circa 1830

Best-known of the Geneva bijoutiers horlogers in the first half of the 19th century was Jean-François Bautte (1772-1837) whose reputation became almost a nostalgic myth. Apparently known to his workmen as the ‘bourru bienfaisant’, a ‘generous grump’, and himself a tourist attraction, Jean-François was the son of Abraham Bautte, an enameller, and his wife Marie Anne Mare (Ian White and Julia Clarke, The Majesty of the Chinese-Market Watch, London, 2019, p. 77).

On 19 May 1789, he was formally apprenticed to Moulinié & Blanchot, watchcase makers, both of whom had been received as masters the previous year. Jean-François is said to have been first apprenticed at the age of 12 so presumably his first master had died or he felt in need of a second term of apprenticeship. Jacques-Dauphin Moulinié (1761-1838) and Jean-François Bautte registered a company together in 1796, stating that it had been in existence since 1 August 1793 with a nine year contract. On 1 October 1804, a new company, Moulinié, Bautte & Co., was created for four years with the addition of Jean-Gabriel Moynier (1772-1840), previously working in the partnership of Mestral, Cellier & Moynier. The new partnership was registered not just as watch case makers but more generally 'pour la commerce d'horlogerie et bijouterie'. From 1808 until 1821 when Moulinié retired, the firm was known as Moulinié, Bautte & Moynier, subsequently as Bautte & Moynier until 1826. The business was continued as J.F. Bautte & Cie., even after Jean-François's death in 1837, by his son Jacques and son-in-law Jean Samuel Rossel, until 1855 when it became Rossel-Bautte & Cie. A large part of Bautte's success came from energetic trade abroad, especially with China and the Middle East.