Watson Service Microscope - Brass [vintage]

A good working vintage microscope. The eyepiece and objectives are are all clean, images are fine, coarse & fine controls are smooth. This is a nice decorative piece.

From the Philip Harris catalogue edition 36 (1913):

Watson's "Service'' Microscope. This stand is in a class by itself, being intended to provide for future as well as present requirements by the addition of standard accessories, such as compound substage, mechanical stage, etc. Coarse and fine adjustments are fitted with screws for adjustment for wear and tear. The Iimb is continued beneath the stage, forming in effect an optical bench for supporting the various component parts. It has an exceedingly solid foot and inclining joint.

Classic microscopes such as this one are beautiful (and very heavy!) display pieces, exhibiting the fine workmanship and materials (no plastic!) of a century ago. They are also very usable and give excellent images, although if you primarily want it for microscopy (rather than display) you might prefer a more modern microscope.

William Watson began his optical business as an opticians and camera in London in 1837 and began manufacturing microscopes in the 1870s. The firm acquired Edmund Wheeler’s slide mounting stock and business in 1884 and remained major suppliers of microscopical mounts until the late 1930s. They became one of Britain's leading producers of photographic equipment, magic lanterns, binoculars, microscopes, and movie projectors. The company completed all their own woodwork, brass working and lens grinding. In 1900, W. Watson & Son took over the significant scientific instrument maker John Browning & Co, and from 1908 the company became known as Watson & Sons Ltd. The firm merged with Philips in 1967.