Austrian silver precision watch in mahogany box Circa 1864

Silver important pocket chronometer by Franz Joseph Vorauer
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An important Austrian silver open faced precision pocket watch in a mahogany box, circa 1864. Full plate movement, key wind, chain and fusee, a spring detent escapement, bimetallic chronometer balance and free sprung, blued, helical balance spring. White enamel dial with Roman hours, an outer minute track, sunk subsidiary seconds at 6 o’clock and blued spade & whip hands. The plain case with maker’s mark MW and signature Wagner. Dial signed, cuvette and movement signed and numbered.
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Diameter: 60 mm
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Weight: 183 g
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Signed: F. Jos. Vorauer in Wien
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The identical pocket chronometer No. 70 was owned by the Austrian astronomer Theodor von Oppolzer (1841-1886), who took the chronometer with him on his research trips between 1867 and 1882.
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The important Viennese watchmaker Franz Joseph Vorauer was born around 1813 in Lambach. In 1845, he attained the master’s degree. In addition to pocket chronometers, Vorauer also made lantern clocks and grandfather clocks. He died in Vienna in 1866.