An impressive antique English brass microscope dating to the late Victorian or early Edwardian period, circa 1890–1910, attributed to the celebrated London optical instrument makers W. Watson & Sons of High Holborn.

The microscope features a tall lacquered brass optical tube mounted on a substantial blackened metal tripod stand, with an adjustable mechanical specimen stage and a circular reflector mirror beneath. Its striking combination of aged brass and dark metalwork gives it a wonderfully sculptural, industrial appearance.

W. Watson & Sons were among Britain's leading manufacturers of precision optical instruments during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, producing microscopes for scientific, educational and laboratory use.

The instrument retains an attractive aged patina, with tarnishing to the brass, wear to the original finishes and general marks consistent with age and use.

Please note that the lower objective lens is missing, and the microscope is therefore offered as an incomplete scientific instrument, suitable for restoration, collecting or decorative display. The remaining optics and mechanical functions have not been fully tested.

Height in the position photographed: 33 cm (13 inches).