Swiss-made by "Bautte". 42 mm [12 Size], 15 Jewels, "Fine Silver" open-face case, key wind and set. Ca. early - mid 1800's.
I picked this little gem up at a local antique shop for $85 [the original asking price was $110]. I bought it with an eye to reselling it on eBay for maybe $125-150, but decided to keep it instead. The watch is marked "Bautte GENEVE" on the dust cover. According to my watch book, there was a watchmaker named Jean-Francois Bautte who worked in geneva from 1800-1835. If this is the same Bautte, then this is a very old watch! The watch is really attractive. The gold hands have little pieces of highly polished steel embedded in them which reflect the light like small diamonds, and the case has a wonderful pattern engraved on the back. The watch case was rather blackened from years of oxidation, but when I applied a little polish it cleaned right up. Not only did it clean right up, I also discovered that the case and the bezel have copper accents all around, which give the watch a lovely two-tone effect. All in all it's a great little watch, and I think I'll hold onto it for now....
Back to My Pocket Watch Page
Return to Barry's Home Page