Description

Offered for sale is a nice antique example of Watson’s Jackson-pattern stand known as The Analyst’s microscope in anodised and lacquered brass – it dates to around 1884 based on its serial number 1436, so it’s quite an early Watson pre-dating the introduction of Watson’s Edinburgh series of instruments.  It’s marked Watson & Sons with their address at 313 High Holborn and so dates to just after the second Watson son joined the firm in 1882 and also significantly pre-dates the firm’s move to limited company status which occurred in 1908.  This being an early example of a Watson and over 140 years old, as you’d expect it’s got some signs of use/wear and lacquered brass-work that’s also showing age-related spotting, tarnishing and lacquer losses here and there, giving the instrument a lovely patina and time-worn look.

Watson’s description of this model in their 1884 product catalogue reads as follows:

“The Analyst’s Microscope
Large and extremely solid monocular microscope with rackwork coarse focus adjustment giving sufficient range for 4 inch objective, fine adjustment, universal sliding stage, diaphragm fitting under stage with wheel-of-stops, double mirror, plane and concave, with B eyepiece, 1/5th inch and 1 inch objectives………………….all for £7 15 shillings.”
There were also additional cost options for Wenham binocular, mechanical stage and a high power 1/8th inch objective.  The instrument was recommended as being suitable for the brewing trade.  Watson also had available quite a long list of additional accessories all at extra cost.

In terms of construction, the instrument has a tripod foot in anodised brass with twin uprights supporting a pivot with tension adjustment on the right-hand side.  There’s an elegant long lister-type upper limb also in anodised brass.  This example is secured to a wooden base-plate giving additional stability in use, also allowing use on a polished surface if so desired.

Turning to the technical details, the coarse focus is via rack and pinion with the older style horizontal cut rack that’s in good condition with no damaged teeth.  It has a good smooth action that holds in position on adjustment, with some lateral play in the dovetails.  The coarse focus thumb-wheels are in brass, also showing some spotting and tarnishing.  Fine focus is of the older type and operated via a separate brass thumb-wheel located at the front of the main tube, which operates against sprung resistance acting on the nose-piece only and works quite well. 

With the optics, this Watson microscope comes fitted with a non-graduated brass eyepiece draw-tube inside a brass main optical tube and there’s a later vintage Watson 5x magnification eyepiece along with a 10x magnification top-hat eyepiece that has a bottom lens missing . 

There are three period objectives as follows:

– 2/3rds inch in brass – Watson – 10x magnification with canister
– 1/4 inch in brass – no maker’s name
– 1/6th inch in brass by Watson – 40x magnification with canister

Overall therefore, the range of magnification available with this Watson ranges from about 50x with the lowest power lens combination, up to around 400x with the highest power combination.

The specimen stage is all-brass and is currently fitted with the Watson universal stage, which works well giving good range of adjustment and it holds position well. 

Turning to the sub-stage, we have a brass mount currently fitted with a wheel-of-stops with 4 positions and nice smooth rotation.  Lighting is via a plano-concave mirror in a brass mount that’s on a height and swing-adjustable brass support arm with slider and gimbal, with period silvering that’s in decent condition to both sides.

The instrument’s controls and friction surfaces have been very lightly lubricated and operate smoothly with a nice feel and surprisingly for an instrument of this age there’s only light age-related signs of wear to the various moving parts.  This instrument presents pretty well with brass-work that still catches the light.  This example is essentially a usable early antique Watson – it’ll make a nice display item as well and is offered at an attractive price point for an antique Watson model of this age.  

There’s a scratch-built storage/transit case with this example as shown in the listing photos.

Owing to the weight and delicacy of this antique Watson microscope, it will be partially dismantled, very well wrapped for shipping and dispatched by insured courier upon receipt of cleared funds.