Austrian plain silver champlevé verge pocket watch Circa 1715

Silver verge with champlevé dial by Franz Antoni Erb
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Early Austrian silver champlevé open faced verge pocket watch, circa 1715. Early, signed and numbered verge movement with Egyptian pillars. Signed champlevé dial with Roman hours and Arabic minutes, decorative hands. Plain case, winding to the back with lock disc.
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Diameter: 49 mm
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Weight: 109 g
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Signed: Frans Antoni Erb Wien
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This watch was originally part of the collection of the Wuppertal Watch Museum, Abeler Collection. Franz or Frank Antoni Erb (both signatures are known) was Court watchmaker in Vienna at the beginning of the 18th century. He was the son of the famous Viennese master watchmaker Albrecht Erb (1628-1674) of Friedberg origin. Franz Antoni Erb was the Court watchmaker of Emperor Joseph I and died in Vienna in 1750. The number 214 is one of the earliest pocket watches he made.