Description

Offered for sale we have a vintage original Service model microscope by W. Watson & Sons Limited of London.  This example dates to 1938 based on the sequential Watson production number of 65454 which is engraved onto the main tube.  There’s also the Watson guarantee/magnification card in the case which is increasingly hard to find with vintage Watsons and this confirms the exact date as 22nd March 1938.  This pre-war example is in all-original condition as far as I can tell and it even looks like the lenses haven’t been changed around over the years, which is quite remarkable given its provenance with the Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries (see later) and in this condition it’s an instrument that’s capable of giving many more years of service. As a matching numbers example in excellent condition with case and original optics, this example is just about perfect for a collector or connoisseur.

The Service model was essentially the mid-size model of Watson’s range of microscope offerings and the back-bone of its microscope range, first appearing in the Watson catalogue around 1919 and remaining in production right up until the mid 1960s – first as the Service in brass (this example), then in the 1940s the Service in chrome finish.  From 1950 Watson brought in the Service I and II models (more streamlined shape) and then the Watson Barnet Service until the end of production.  So, this model essentially had quite a long production run of nearly 50 years, with this long production run giving us a firm clue about just how good and capable this model of microscope was, so much so that it often found its way into government and educational establishments.  This example appears to have been originally with MAF which is the Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries and bears markings to this effect on the instrument top-plate and some other components.

This instrument has got excellent lacquered brass details such as thumb-wheels which are showing no real signs of age-related tarnishing and just the odd bit of spotting here and there, although I’m unable to find blemishes of any significance.  In the main, the instrument has cleaned up exceptionally well (it only needed a light dusting) and the brass-work catches the light perfectly.  The Service is essentially an excellent piece of British optical engineering that oozes the famous Watson brand from its various components, based on quality materials, solid construction and great design.  Feel the weight of it for one, despite being a mid-size vintage microscope it’s still quite heavy with all that steel and brass.  This is a sturdy really good quality brass Service microscope, working well with no discernible signs of wear.  It’s got a great period look and almost looks like it came off the Watson production line in recent times and not some 87 years ago.

The construction is a heavy iron foot with pivot supporting the Lister-type limb also in iron.  Coarse focus is rack and pinion with good smooth action and fine focus is a horizontal arrangement with vernier screw and lever/cam which also works well.  The stage and sub-stage accessories are all attached to the limb/limb tailpiece and overall this is a very stable well-engineered design.

Turning to the optics, this Watson Service microscope is fitted with a chromed eyepiece draw-tube with graduation markings inside the main optical tube which is in brass.  It is also supplied with appropriate quality vintage eyepieces that with good illumination produce excellent images:

– 6x magnification – Watson
– 10x magnification – Watson

There are three vintage Watson objectives and a triple turret, which rotates freely with a positive feel when the objectives slot into position as follows:

– 2/3rds inch parachromatic in brass – 10x magnification – with correct Bakelite canister
– 1/6th inch parachromatic in brass – 40x magnification – with correct Bakelite canister
– 1/12th inch versalic – high-power oil immersion objective – 100x – with correct Bakelite canister

Overall, the range of magnification provided by this Watson therefore runs from about 60x to a very respectable 1,000x when using oil immersion techniques with the 1/12th inch versalic objective.

The microscope stage is a standard Watson ebonite with metal core item for the Service model that’s showing its original black colour.  These ebonite stages often fade to a mid-brown colour over time, with prolonged exposure to sunlight, so this tells me that this example has spent much of its like stored away in its case.  Pleasingly, the stage is also fitted with a fully mechanical over-stage also in matching lacquered brass finish.  This model of Watson over-stage works really well with a sprung arm to hold slides steady during inclination and when the axes are being moved around.  It also has vernier scales for both axes as well as an ample range of movement – overall a top quality mechanical over-stage that attaches through the same holes in the stage where stage clips normally locate and is tightened into position from below with a couple of small thumb-screws.

Turning to the sub-stage, we have a Watson Abbe-type condenser in a ring mount that’s height adjustable via a rack and pinion system with dual sided control.  The condenser also has a working iris to control lighting levels and there’s a swing-out 35mm filter carrier for adding glass filters or dark-field stops.  Further testament to the quality and attention to detail of Watson’s engineering solutions is found in that the condenser has sufficient reach to enable oiling to the back of a slide for higher magnification work should that be necessary.  Often with over-stages, condenser reach is inadequate, but not here – another excellent Watson feature.  Lighting is via a plano-concave mirror on an adjustable brass support arm that slots into the underside of the tailpiece, with gimbal and period silvering in excellent condition to both sides.

This is a fine visual and working example of Watson’s classic brass-era Service model in excellent original condition with a good set of optics and the must-have over-stage.  It’s essentially very much in collectable condition and offered at a sensible price point for a well-specified pre-war example in such good order.  There’s also the original Watson storage case with this example, which is also in very good condition for its age, with some shrinkage cracking to a couple of panels (which is not unusual), internal storage rack for the lenses, its original lock and key along with an un-restored exterior finish with appropriate period sheen.

Owing to the weight of the microscope, it will be partially dismantled, fixed to its case with a transit bolt, very well wrapped and cushioned for shipping and dispatched by insured courier upon receipt of cleared funds.  

Thanks for looking – please also check out my other listings if you get a chance.