Important Silversmiths - Bautte & Moynier
Jean-François Bautte (1772-1837) and Gabriel Moynier were two prominent goldsmiths of Swiss origin, who worked in partnership, as well as on their own, and crafted incredible objects of vertu, watches and jewellery.
Jean-François Bautte went down in history for three main reasons. Firstly, he was the establisher of the most complete watch manufacture of his time in Geneva, cementing Switzerland’s rightful place as the world’s center of haute horlogerie. Secondly, he crafted exquisite watches and luxurious jewellery for the most renowned contemporaries, royal courts of Europe and various dignitaries. And thirdly, he was one of the inventors of the extra-thin watch.
Bautte began his apprenticeship at the age of 12 and succeeded in the art of making watches, jewellery, engravings and various objects made from gold and silver. In 1793 he established a company in cooperation with Jacques-Dauphin Moulinié. When Gabriel Moynier joined the partnership in 1804, the company changed its name to Moulinié, Bautte & Cie. The firm specialised primarily in watch-making, however their incredible jewellery was also in high demand.
The legendary union didn’t happen to have lasted long: the company only bore the name “Bautte et Moynier” from 1821 until 1826, when it was changed to Bautte & Cie, as Jean-François Bautte left the partnership and developed his own manufacture. However, these 5 years were enough for apprentices to inherit the two artisans’ splendid technique and methods and then keep embodying crafting stunning pieces under the company’s name.
As the company grew, it attracted more and more noble customers. Amongst Bautte & Moynies’s most famous clients were various European royal family members and aristocracy: Queen Victoria and the duchess of Clermont-Tonnerre are just a few to be mentioned. What is more, Jean-François Bautte’s name appeared in the writings of Alexandre Dumas, père, Balzac and John Ruskin.
Nowadays exquisite pieces by Jean-François Bautte and Gabriel Moynier are on display at world’s finest museums, such as the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva and at the Girard-Perregaux Museum in La Chaux-de-Fonds and keep increasing in demand among private collectors.
