The naval battle scene depicted on this watch is believed to represent the Battle of the Nile of 1798. Following Trafalgar, the Battle of the Nile at Aboukir Bay stood as one of Nelson's most renowned and pivotal victories against the French.

George Prior (1765-c. 1830), the son of John Prior of Nessfield (Yorkshire), who was also a clockmaker, was a prominent London watchmaker renowned for crafting timepieces specifically tailored for the Turkish and Islamic markets, often in collaboration with his son, Edward Prior. He was honored with at least two awards from the Society of Arts for his exceptional mechanical creations. The Priors stand out as perhaps the most celebrated among English watch and clockmakers who catered predominantly to the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and the prosperous Turkish market during the late 18th and first half of the 19th centuries. Watches bearing the signatures of either George Prior or Edward Prior ranged from modest everyday pocket watches with silver cases to exquisite and extravagantly expensive timepieces crafted from gold, adorned with jewels or enamel, such as the present watch, which might have been acquired or bestowed by the Sultan himself or esteemed members of the Ottoman court. The collection at the Dolmabahçe Palace museum features clocks crafted by the Priors, presented as gifts to Sultan Abdülhamid II. Additionally, timepieces crafted by George Prior can be found in the collections of the Topkapi Museum in Istanbul and the Victoria & Albert Museum in Londonq.