Vintage

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.

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..

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.