Antique W. Watson & Sons Ltd Brass Edinburgh Stand-H Microscope c1918, Cased

This listing is for a rather nice example of an antique Edinburgh Student's Stand-H model microscope in brass by W. Watson & Sons Limited of London. It dates from around 1918 based on the sequential Watson production number of 24222, which is engraved onto the frame, just above the rear tripod foot. It's an Edinburgh-H model, originally retailed by Watson agents H.

Of London - according to an engraving on the rear cross-member. Watson produced the Edinburgh H model between 1887 and around 1945; its long production run giving us a firm clue regarding just how good this model of microscope was in its heyday. The Edinburgh stand was originally developed by Watson in collaboration with a professor and lecturer in bacteriology at the University of Edinburgh.

This Edinburgh H is essentially. An excellent piece of British optical engineering showing its quality from every one of its many intricate parts, based on good materials, solid construction, great design and skilled workmanship with plenty of hand-finishing carried out in this period.

Have a detailed look at the quality of the construction, even the brass screws and other furniture really do scream top quality from every component. This is therefore a sturdy, quality, well-made antique microscope in really good original condition, fully working and all moving parts seem to be mainly free from much in the way of wear. Turning to the technical details, the coarse focus is via rack and pinion which has a good smooth action, with fine focus achieved via a separate thumb-wheel located at the rear of the upper frame which operates an internal lever system and also works nice and smoothly. Overall, the range of magnification available with this Watson therefore ranges from about 40x to a perfectly respectable 800x. The final photo in the listing shows a medium magnification (80x) image of an antique slide of a young locust - well a small part of one.

The microscope's mechanical stage is an original Watson item in brass with a pair of specimen clips that are perfect for holding slides during inclined viewing. The freely running x/y controls also offering fine control of specimen positioning, which is a real advantage for higher magnification work. Turning to the sub-stage, we have a Watson Abbe-style condenser on a height adjustable rack and pinion mount which swings out to allow changing condenser type, carrying out maintenance or just for microscopy techniques that don't require using a condenser.

The condenser assembly also has a working iris to control lighting levels. There's no swing-out holder fitted, but there is a space in the condenser assembly for one to be installed, or slide-in filters could be used as an alternative (see listing photos and separate listing for a set of vintage 2 inch by 1 inch glass filters). Lighting is via a plano-concave mirror held in a brass carrier which is in very good condition on its adjustable brass support arm and gimbal set-up, with period silvering that's also in good condition on both sides. All controls operate smoothly including coarse focus, fine-focus, eyepiece draw-tube, condenser and plano-concave mirror. The instrument has been given a light lubrication so all controls operate smoothly with the existing Watson hardware, thereby preserving its originality and collector appeal.

This is a great visual and working example of Watson's classic Edinburgh Stand-H model in highly original condition with a comprehensive specification, good optics and it's essentially in collectable condition with lovely gleaming brass-work that's virtually free from age-related tarnishing. It really catches the morning sun well, glowing with a yellow/golden hue. Here is also a period Watson wooden storage case with this example, which is also in excellent condition for its age with internal lens rack, nice leather handle and is just missing a key. Ured courier upon receipt of cleared funds. Thanks for looking - please also check out my other listings if you get a chance. Watson & Sons Ltd Brass Edinburgh Stand-H Microscope c1918, Cased" is in sale since Thursday, November 26, 2020.

This item is in the category "Antiques\Science/Medicine\Scientific Instruments". The seller is "arcboutant" and is located in Glasgow. This item can be shipped to United Kingdom, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Australia, United States, Bahrain, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, China, Israel, Hong Kong, Norway, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Bangladesh, Bermuda, Bolivia, Barbados, Brunei darussalam, Cayman islands, Ecuador, Egypt, Guernsey, Gibraltar, Guadeloupe, French guiana, Iceland, Jersey, Jordan, Cambodia, Liechtenstein, Sri lanka, Macao, Monaco, Maldives, Martinique, Nicaragua, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Paraguay, Reunion, Saudi arabia, South africa, United arab emirates, Ukraine, Chile, Bahamas, Colombia, Costa rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Kuwait, Panama, Qatar, Trinidad and tobago, Uruguay, Viet nam.

Period: 1901 to 1950
Modified Item: No
Country/Region of Manufacture: United Kingdom
Material: Brass
Type: Microscope
Antique: Yes
Sub-Type: Microscopes