Antique W. Watson & Sons Ltd Brass Histology Monocular Microscope c1898, Cased

This listing is for a beautifully presented and amazingly well engineered antique Histology stand microscope by W. Watson & Sons Limited of London. It dates from 1898 based on the sequential Watson production number of 4154, which is engraved onto the base along with the Watson name and their then London address in High Holborn. This Watson Histology model is one of the rarer models in Watson's microscope line-up in this period and was produced to meet the demands of medical institutions at the time.

It presents with a novel type of tripod base, which gives good stability when in use. The histology stand was originally introduced by Watson in 1886, so this is a later example of this compact instrument.

The instrument's main coarse focus is by rack and pinion, which has a smooth action. Fine focus is achieved via a brass thumb-wheel at the rear of the upper frame which moves and internal lever system and also has a smooth operation. Turning to the optics, this Watson Histology microscope comes fitted with a nice period graduated brass eyepiece draw-tube and some appropriate quality vintage eyepieces that with good illumination produce excellent images: - 6x magnification - vintage eyepiece - no maker's name. Plus it's got three vintage objectives and can be used with a single objective fitted, or with two objectives, by using the benefit of a period Watson double turret as shown in the listing photos. The objectives are as follows. 2 inches brass low-power objective by Watson - 4x approx - 2/3rd inch - Watson Parachromatic -10x with metal canister - 1/6th inch.

Watson Argus - 40x with metal canister. Overall, the range of magnification provided by this Watson Histology example therefore ranges from about 24x to a perfectly respectable 400x without the need for oil immersion techniques. The microscope's square brass stage has original brass clips and this system is excellent for retaining slides during inclined viewing. Turning to the sub-stage, we currently have an iris on a brass plug-in mount which also has swing-out holder allowing coloured, opaque or dark-field filters to be inserted. There is also a more modern condenser supplied as well, which is also 39mm and therefore just plugs straight into the existing brass mounting tube - it also has a working iris and filter carrier as is shown fitted in the listing photos.

Lighting is via a plano-concave mirror which is in pretty good condition on its adjustable brass support arm and gimbal, with good functional silvering to both sides - showing only a little age-related foxing. All controls operate reasonably smoothly including coarse focus, fine-focus, eyepiece draw-tube, iris and plano-concave mirror. The instrument has been stripped, lubricated and rebuilt so all controls operate smoothly with the existing Watson hardware, thereby preserving its originality. This late Victorian example is in all-original condition and has been well looked after by its former custodians.

It also benefits from a good set of Watson lenses, a brass stage with original brass specimen retaining clips and the correct period storage case, which is also in fantastic condition. It presents really well with some amazing gleaming brass-work.

This example has got really good lacquered brass details including its main tube and thumb-wheels which are showing few signs of age-related tarnishing, very much in keeping with light usage over the last 122 years. The brass-work is in such good condition that it really catches the sun and glints with a warm golden hue. This Histology microscope is essentially. An excellent piece of Victorian optical engineering exuding that famous Watson brand from every component, based on quality materials, solid construction, great design and skilled workmanship with most components probably hand-finished.

This is a sturdy quality period microscope in good original condition, fully working, with few signs of wear and bags of character and period charm. It's got a great look and patina and is a fantastic example of a. Compact brass Watson from the late Victorian era. This is a great visual and working example of Watson's classic and now quite rare Histology model in highly original condition with a comprehensive specification, good optics and it's essentially very much in collectable condition, displaying amazingly well for a smallish compact Watson stand. Here is also a period-correct storage case with this example, which is also in excellent condition for its age with an internal storage rack for the lenses and also an original working lock with 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 Histology Monocular Microscope c1898, Cased" is in sale since Monday, November 9, 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, Antigua and barbuda, 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, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Barbados, Brunei darussalam, Cayman islands, Dominica, Ecuador, Egypt, Guernsey, Gibraltar, Guadeloupe, Grenada, French guiana, Iceland, Jersey, Jordan, Cambodia, Saint kitts and nevis, Saint lucia, Liechtenstein, Sri lanka, Macao, Monaco, Maldives, Montserrat, Martinique, Nicaragua, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Paraguay, Reunion, Turks and caicos islands, Aruba, Saudi arabia, South africa, United arab emirates, Ukraine, Chile, Bahamas, Colombia, Costa rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Kuwait, Panama, Philippines, Qatar, Trinidad and tobago, Uruguay, Viet nam.

Period: 1800 to 1900
Modified Item: No
Country/Region of Manufacture: United Kingdom
Material: Brass
Type: Microscope
Antique: Yes
Sub-Type: Microscopes