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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Pocket watch · Quarter repeating pocket watch

J F Bautte à Genève Decorative Double Cased Quarter Repeater Pocket Watch

Partially verified

Reported by the source as dating to circa 1830 and signed by J F Bautte a Geneve, this Swiss pocket watch measures 38 mm in diameter. The source notes a slim keywind gilt bar movement with a suspended going barrel, cylinder escapement, and a push-pendant quarter repeating mechanism chiming on two polished steel gongs. It is fitted with an 18-carat open-face inner case within an outer gold case. The white enamel dial exhibits black Roman numerals and gilt Breguet-style hands, encircled by an outer bezel decorated with champlevé-style blue enamel foliage.

Dial view of J F Bautte a Geneve quarter repeating pocket watch in an enamel and gold double case
Dial view of J F Bautte a Geneve quarter repeating pocket watch in an enamel and gold double case — Watch Museum. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
watchmuseum.org
Category
Pocket watch · Quarter repeating pocket watch
Maker / attribution
J F Bautte a Geneve
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
Source URL identifies the listing
Source-reported date
Circa 1830
Country
Switzerland

Source-reported attribution and specifications are not independent authentication. A listing does not establish present ownership, current display, availability or permission to reproduce.

Object description

Identity and Provenance

This Swiss pocket watch is signed by the maker J F Bautte a Geneve and is attributed by the source to approximately 1830. The piece is described as an early 19th-century quarter-repeating cylinder watch featuring a double-cased construction.

The watch has a diameter of 38 mm. It includes an inner 18-carat open-face case with engine-turned and engraved details, housed within a gold outer case that features a hinged back and front bezel.

Evidence for this section
  • “Signed J F Bautte a Geneve”
  • “Circa 1830”
  • “early 19th Century Swiss quarter repeating cylinder watch”
  • “Diameter 38 mm”
  • “inner 18-carat open face case boasts of an engine turned and engraved back”
  • “gold outer case is uniquely shaped to match the inner case and has a hinged back and front bezel”

Dial and Exterior Observations

The timepiece features a white enamel dial with Roman numerals and gilt hands. The front bezel of the outer case is decorated with blue and white enamel.

The watch includes a decorative gold bow and a push-pendant, which serves as the activator for the repeating mechanism.

Evidence for this section
  • “white enamel dial with Roman numerals and gilt hands”
  • “front bezel which is decorated with blue and white enamel”
  • “push-pendant quarter repeating mechanism on two polished steel gongs”

Movement and Technical Specifications

The watch is equipped with a slim, keywind, gilt bar movement that includes a suspended going barrel. The mechanism features a plain cock, a polished steel regulator, a polished steel cylinder, and a steel escape wheel.

Source documentation provides conflicting technical descriptions regarding the balance, listing both an uncut bimetallic balance with a spiral hairspring and a plain three-arm gilt balance with a blue steel spiral hairspring. The cuvette is signed and acts as the point for winding and setting.

Evidence for this section
  • “slim keywind gilt bar movement with a suspended going barrel”
  • “plain cock with polished steel regulator”
  • “uncut bimetallic balance with a spiral hairspring”
  • “plain three-arm gilt balance with a blue steel spiral hairspring”
  • “scolloped bezels are wound and set through the signed gold cuvette”

Open research questions

  • What is the source of the contradictory descriptions regarding the bimetallic versus three-arm gilt balance?
  • Does the watch possess an identifiable serial number on the cuvette to verify production records?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for J F Bautte à Genève Decorative Double Cased Quarter Repeater Pocket Watch
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
Maker SignatureJ F Bautte a Geneve“Signed J F Bautte a Geneve”
DateCirca 1830“Circa 1830”
Diameter38 mm“Diameter 38 mm”
Case ConstructionDouble gold and enamel case“unique double gold and enamel case”
Repeating MechanismPush-pendant quarter repeating on two steel gongs“push-pendant quarter repeating mechanism on two polished steel gongs”
Inner Case Purity18-carat“The inner 18-carat open face case is adorned with engine-turned engravings”
Repeating MechanismPush-pendant quarter repeating on two polished steel gongs“push-pendant quarter repeating mechanism on two polished steel gongs”

Visible details

  • Front bezel of the gold outer case is decorated with floral and scrolling blue enamel inlay.
  • White enamel dial displays Roman hour numerals and an outer minute track.
  • Gilt open-tipped Breguet-style hour hand and slender straight minute hand.
  • Decorative gold bow and ornate push-pendant at the 12 o'clock position.
  • Dial exhibits faint hairline cracks between the center arbor and edge.

Research qualifications

  • Internal movement, cuvette signature, and inner case are not visible in the provided image; mechanism details are source-reported.
  • Source text contains slight contradictions in technical description (mentioning both an uncut bimetallic balance and a plain three-arm gilt balance).

Photograph identity and source facts were screened before import; rights clearance remains pending.

Consulted source

DECORATIVE DOUBLE CASED QUARTER REPEATER - 1830 » Watch Museum: Discover The World Of Antique & Vintage Pocket Watches

Reviewed 2026-10-22 · Record 5a4939fb7c

Terms in this record

Glossary explanations for terms named in this object’s record.

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