Every now and then, I get a customer that wants a telescope or spotting scope that is as good to look at as it is to look through. The instrument must not only perform to the highest standard, it must also make a statement about the owner's commitment to owning a fine piece of equipment.

Of course, as salesperson, this is a dream customer for me. I had just such a gentleman the other day. He wanted something for his Manhattan high rise and he made a point of telling me that he didn't have time to waste on alternatives - he wanted to go right to the top. What else could I do? I matched up my dream scope for my dream customer.

For the spotting scope (which will also work just as well as a telescope), we went with the excellent TeleVue-85 Telescope 85 mm APO Package and, since looks were also an issue, we went with the model in brass, the BXC-3370. Now, everyone knows that a good scope deserves a good mount, so we went with the TeleVue Walnut Panoramic Mount WPT-4012. The walnut, of course, compliments the brass better than the ash version, the TeleVue Ash Panoramic Mount APT-4011. That would have been suitable for the white or evergreen version of the TV-85, buut not the brass (the woman's touch, here).

Just as a good telescope deserves a good mount, it also deserves to be fitted with good telescope eyepieces. Naturally, this meant Televue eyepieces. We started with one of my all time favorite telescope eyepieces, the TeleVue Panoptic 24.0mm Eyepiece EPO-24 and added two sensational Televue Nagler eyepieces, the TeleVue Nagler 7.0mm Type 6 Eyepiece EN6-7 and the TeleVue Nagler 11.0mm Type 6 Eyepiece EN6-11.

How would you like to have this setup in your living room? It would look great in mine.