The Second Universal microscope was introduced by Benjamin Martin in 1742 as an improvement over his First Universal microscope, which was a new innovation of the time period.

The major improvement of this microscope over the first version was removal of the threads on the central pillar and the addition of a wooden base to stabilize the microscope. Positioning of the specimen stage could now be accomplished by sliding it up and down on the pillar and securing it with a small clamp screw. This additional freedom of movement also allowed for greater latitude when viewing samples from side to side. Addition of a substage concave reflecting mirror also helped to increase the illumination used to view the samples.

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