I recently posted a question about the usefulness of microscopes. I had heard some good remarks about the subject.
I finally broke down and got one from Miller scopes. He worked with me to get what I wanted.
www.imillermicroscopes.com
My God, I can't believe the difference it can make.
For wrist band pins and other large problems it's not worth the effort but for train parts and train work it's a wonderful tool. I now find chips and worn teeth and bent wheels easily. It is wonderful on jewels and pinions. I have 5, 10, 25 & 50 + power at my fingertips with a two way focus. With a forty five degree, stereo head I can sit at the bench and use it and don't have to stand up all the time to look in the lens.
Its an Olympus, made in Japan to Olympus specifications. I finally got my head out of the sand and now it's so much easier to see things.
IT'S AMAZING.

Great to hear, Patrick. I want a zoom scope at some point--after running an electronic assembly line where that was our tool to build stuff you couldn't see by eye, it just makes sense for watch work. Which model did you end up with?

Evan,
Olympus, VT II. Stereo, 10x - 20x .