Jewel watch

The mechanism of spiral hair-spring is contained a book-shaped case with a convertible cover. The interior sides of the case have a niello decoration, whose motifs are stylized scroll and foliage. The whole surface of the interior sides is decorated with set precious stones — turquoise, garnet, amethyst. On the base plate of the mechanism is an engraved minuscule signature: "Albrecht Erbb in Wienn". The master of the object had been active in Vienna since 1661 to the end of the 17th century (Baillie, Granville Hugh: Watchmaker and clockmakers of the world. 3rd. ed. London, 1951, 101. p.).

It may be assumed that one of the bills from the 17th century in the National Archives refers to this object: it shows that Pál Esterházy, Palatine (1635—1713) between 20th October, 1690, and 6th February 1691 had payed 300 Florins in three payments to the "imperial watchmaker of Vienna", Albrecht Erb for two watches one of them was a "Büchl mit der Uhr" (OL The Archive of the Ducal Line of the Esterházy Family, P. 125. 48 / 10750). This object is first mentioned in the material of the Esterházy treasury in the inventory of 8th January, 1693.: "Horologium Aureum in forma libelli Tyrkesys Gallicis atque granatis et alys Lapidis ornatum" (OL The Archive of the Ducal Line of the Esterházy Family, Rep. 8. Fasc C. No. 37, NB / 1. p. 18. — the interpretation of Mihaly Detshy). Probably this object is the one referred to in the description of the 1725 inventory of the Esterházy family in Fraknó: — „Egy szarga pántlikán függő kövekkel ki rakott aranyos könyv forma órácska” . "A small watch, book-shaped, set with precious stones, gilt and hanging on a yellow ribbon" (Inventarium Thesauri Fraknensis Anno 1725. Almarium Sub. Nris. 51 et 52. Nro. 11. —The Inventory of the Museum of Applied Arts 236/ 1957). This item of the inventory is published and identified with the object (Héjjné Détári Angéla: A fraknói Esterházy-kincstár a történeti források tükrében. In: Magyarországi reneszánsz és barokk: Művészettörténeti tanulmányok. szerk.: Galavics Géza, Budapest, 1975, 496. p.).