John Scott, London

• gilt full plate movement, verge escapement, decoratively pierced and engraved balance cock, diamond endstone, fusee and chain, cylindrical pillars • white enamel dial, Roman numerals, outer Arabic minute track, gold beetle and poker hands, plain gold inner case • gilt metal dust cap • gold outer case, the central panel with a fine polychrome enamel painted basket of flowers resting on a neo-classical stand painted en grisaille, double outer border of translucent blue enamel, with pink enamel flowers and green leaves between, the bezel with matching decoration, diamond-set thumb piece, the matching gilt metal chatelaine with four gold panels, each with a polychrome enamel painted floral bouquet, the pendant chains with small enamel painted flowers, one terminating in the winding key with further enamel painted bouquet, inner case hallmarked 1780, dust cap signed John Scott, Gloucester Street, London, No. 1163 with maker's mark IM for James Marson or James Macklin, outer case HT probably Henry Cleaver Taylor • movement signed and numbered

Sotheby's London, The Sir Chester Beatty Collection, Part 1, December 1962, lot 89 

Terence Camerer Cuss, The English Watch 1585-1970, p. 271, pl. 165

The vividly painted floral arrangement is mounted on an en-grisaille  neo-classical stand. The whole painting, including its matching chatelaine, lies on a grey ground shaded left to right and should be compared to one by William Allam, in Jagger’s, The Artistry of the English Watch. Although no clues exist regarding the identity of the enameller, some speculation has been raised that it could be Moser’s daughter, Mary who had exhibited similar paintings, though no hard evidence has come to light which would substantiate this possibility.  John Scott is listed in Baillie, Watchmakers and Clockmakers of the World, Third edition, 1951 as working at Gloucester Street before 1784.