Vintage

A very nice example of this classic Watson stereo, with a very well thought out design. Finished in blue/grey enamel, the turret mounted objectives are x2.5, x5 and x10 and are matched with a pair of x10 eyepieces giving a magnification range of x25 to x100. The microscope has a jointed quite long flexible light unit that can provide either incident illumination or is potentially long enough to shine light onto the substage mirror system to provide transmitted light. Dating from around 1960 this is a nice instrument.

This is a good example of a British made Prior microscope, finished in dark green enamel with brushed brass controls. Separate coarse and fine focus controls. Objectives x4, x10 and x40 with a wide field x10 eyepiece. Mirror illumination and a focusing substage condenser with iris diaphragm. Mechanical specimen driver. Custom made wooden case. There is a very slight off centre movement of one of the coarse focus controls, but this does not detract from its use or appearance. A nice looking microscope

This is a fine collector's piece in very good order with all parts original and working well and is without doubt the best Baker vintage microscope that we have seen in 38 years of trading. It is difficult to fix an exact date of manufacture. Charles Baker was at 244 High Holborn from 1855 to 1959 when they were taken over by Vickers. No serial number list exists although the last was in the region of 40,000. A reasonable guess for this microscope would be 1930's or so. Finished in Baker grey enamel the body work and chrome parts are in very good condition. Full mechanical stage with two substage condenser systems. A phase contrast plan condenser and an oil dark ground condenser with a screw on dry condenser element. The illumination stand allows the microscope to be fixed in place or removed and of particular interest is that there are 5 spare lamps to keep you going.

The objectives are Baker x100 phase oil immersion, Vickers/Baker x10 phase and Vickers x40 phase and x10 Baker eyepieces. In addition, there is a monocular head. We are even tempted to keep this for ourselves!

The Watson Service 11(2) is one of the most iconic British made microscope of the mid part of the last century. The most notable thing about them is the build quality and excellent engineering. Everything about them says 'build quality'. Now of course they are as much a visual marker of those bygone days of British microscope production which means they are often bought to be looked at as well as looked down. This particular unit is both. We have not seen a Service 11 in such good condition. The paint work is exceptional and the chrome controls show no evidence of corrosion at all. It is all original with a x7 Watson eyepiece and four Watson objectives. Para x10 (0.25), Para x15 (0.34), Para x40 (0.70) and Para x100 (1.25) oil immersion. Draw tube, focusing condenser and mirror illumination. A fine microscope of its day.

A classic microscope from the British manufacturer Prior. The model is all original and is now a collectors piece. Finished in beige enamel with a black binocular head. Large square mechanical stage with drop down controls. The coarse and fine focus mechanisms are combined into a single control. 6v 15watt Kohler illumination system with a voltmeter display. Focusing condenser with lateral adjustment controls and iris diaphragm. Objectives x10, x40 (0.70) and x100 oil immersion (1.30). x10 eyepieces

The Watson Service 11(2) is one of the most iconic British made microscope of the mid part of the last century. The most notable thing about them is the build quality and excellent engineering, everything about them says 'build quality'. Now of course they are as much a visual marker of those bygone days of British microscope production which means they are often bought to be looked at as well as looked down. It is not often that we get vintage microscopes of this quality, yet here come two of them. Body work paint is excellent and the chrome controls are almost as new. The serial number is 107582 which dates it to 1951. It is all original with x6, x10 and x40 Watson objectives with the original objective pots. The microscope has the standard Watson draw tube and variable focus stop. Focusing condenser with iris diaphragm. Stage clips. Complete with an excellently refurbished case in excellent condition. Very few of these about these days in this condition

This set dates from the time when phase contrast microscopy was just starting to emerge and the various makers were trying to avoid copyright issues. Baker had developed a condenser system with a bright field cross that matched with retarding crosses in objectives to produce the ''phase' effect. This set has a 'cross' condenser with a x10 'cross' phase objective, x10 bright field (non phase) and x100 'cross' phase together with a phase telescope for alignment. All presented in the original excellent case. A collectors must.

In the early days of phase contrast microscopy, different manufacturers adopted very different mechanisms to avoid issues with copyright (until it was agreed lawfully that you cannot copyright a concept). At this time Baker used a cross system with a condenser that let light through a cross system to be intercepted by a cross retardation in the objective. This is a good example of the 'cross' phase condenser with a lever that allows the cross to partially rotate which presumably allows it to match the cross in the objective..

A good example of this classic Baker microscope. All original with objectives x3, x10, x40 and x100 (oil immersion) with x10 eyepiece. Mechanical stage with central drop down coaxial controls. Coaxial central coarse and fine focus controls on the base. Focusing substage condenser with centring controls and iris diaphragm. 240v mains illumination. The only negative is a few small paint chips low on the base.

This is one for the serious collector. It is a Baker stereomicroscope serial number 20470 which dates it to the 1950's. It is all original and in excellent condition. It has an objective pair of 1¼ x and x10 eyepieces. What is very clever about its design is the fact that the stand structure enables the head to be positioned for either flat specimens or those which much more depth. This system was unique to Baker at that time. The focus is by rack and pinion and there is a mirror system for transmitted lighting and the stage has specimen clips. This is an excellent piece of British microscope production - a fine opportunity

This set dates from the time when phase contrast microscopy was just starting to emerge and the various makers were trying to avoid copyright issues. Baker had developed a condenser system with a bright field cross that matched with retarding crosses in objectives to produce the ''phase' effect. This set has a 'cross' condenser on a slider which would fit the larger of the Baker microscopes of that time. The objectives are a x40 phase with a x10 and x100 (oil immersion) bright field together with a phase telescope for alignment. All presented in the original excellent case. A collectors must.

This microscope dates from the days that the principal microscope manufacturers began to merge their production lines. This Baker microscope is the same shape as Vickers models of the same time. This is all original in in good condition. Objectives x3, x10, x40 and x100 (oil immersion) with a x10 eyepiece. Mechanical stage with coaxial front positioned controls. Full substage condenser with flip top lens. Tungsten illumination. Front coaxial coarse and fine focus controls. A few small chips on the paint work but altogether a nice microscope.