Watch Chains

[Shangas]

It was not uncommon for Victorian watch chains to have a bar which also doubled as a watch key or had some other useful function, which may also go to explain why they were worn outside the waistcoat.

Aaah, I hadn't thought of that before. I always reckoned watch-keys were kept on the other half of a double albert.

 

[Ethan Bentley]

http://gallery.me.com/finiancircle#100014/DSCF1712&bgcolor=black[/URL]

And the second part of a cheap set of men's jewelry comprising matching tiechain, cufflinks, and watchchain; this is intended to be worn over the belt and into the trowser pocket, I believe:
http://gallery.me.com/finiancircle#100014/DSCF1708&bgcolor=black

"Skeet"

Thanks for the pics. I particularly like the first chain, I don't think I've seen anything like that before. How flexible is it??

 

[Dinerman]

Picked these two up at an antique mall yesterday. $13 total for both.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

 

[Warbaby]

I've been looking for an Albert chain that I could afford for quite awhile. Finally nailed one on eBay for $11 and it arrived last week. I added the onyx and diamond pendant and the collapsible pencil that's set with abalone and m.o.p. I found the pendant at an antique shop in upstate New York last month for $5 and I've had the pencil for at least 20 years.

Here it is with my favorite watch, my grandfather's Hamilton:

 

[Feraud]

Anyone else have watch chains to show off?

 

[Shangas]

I USED to have two watch-chains, and alternated wearing one watch on one chain, and the other watch on the other chain. However one of the chains was so badly constructed it fell apart after only a few months, so I reverted to using my original chain:

There you are!

It's not much, but it's good and strong. An 11-inch brass single albert. I bought this for $20 at the flea-market. The photos don't really do the chain justice. It may look all rusty and worn out in these photos, but it's actually quite pretty.

I am hoping, one day, to get a spring-ring chain, but so far, none within my price-range have shown up.

Items in these photos:

1926 Waltham M1908 7J 16s hunter-case watch. 20-year gold-filled case made by the Dennison Watch Case Co.
1928 Parker Duofold 'Big Red' senior-size button-filler. (left).
1930 Sheaffer Balance Oversize lever-filler (right).
1914 Conklin Crescent-Filler (bottom).

Old school badge (right) and commemorative gold 50c piece, celebrating Queen Lizzie II's silver jubilee (left).

1899 Waltham M1895 7J 14s open-face watch. 5-year gold-filled case.

Both watches keep good time and they both fit comfortably on the chain (not at the same time!) Wearing my 1899 Waltham right now, actually, with the chain featured in the photo (minus the gold coin).

 

[Edward]

At present, I have three pocket watches, all silver tone:

One which is either 1930s (according to the tag that was on it when it arrived), or early 1940s (according to the eBay auction I bought it from...). Lovely original, keeps good time. Silver Coloured (no idea if plate or some other material). Very similar pattern on the rear to a cigarette case I bought as a novelty for pennies at a market on the Isle of White in 1984 (family holiday, I was ten at the time). Must dig that out.... I plan to wear this with a double-Albert chain, fairly chunky silver one, either late 19th or early 20th century, that I think belonged to somebody in the fanily back in the day. I will wear this with white tie - the double chains can look a bit 'bling' otherwise, imo (that said, I think you can get away with a lot more if you're wearing a silver tone rather than gold. For some reason, as you up the quantity you wear, gold looks much tackier much faster.... [huh] ). On the other end of the chain I currently have a small, Guinnes-branded pocket knife - probably about an inch long, folded. I'm not sure from when this dates, all I can guess is some time between 1930 and 1970. It looks right, though, which is the important part. Bought the knife-fob on eBay for a couple of pounds, while the watch was another eBay buy for about GBP16, including the postage.

Second watch is one that came recently. Seller bought it in approx early 1970s, or late sixties at earliest. Looks like a half hunter, but actually it's a regular pocket watch constructed so as the face is on the small side, to give the look of a closed half hunter. The hands are the real giveaway that it is much more recent than the age in which pocket watches would have been common, as they appear to be some sort of white bakelite or plastic, on a black face. Keeps great time (though needs winding more often - daily, say - than the older watch above). Loud tick to it. Came with its original strap, a silvertone and braided leather affair.

Thirdly, I have a cheap, silver coloured Chinese hunter. Front opens like a regular full-hunter, though the back has a clear perspex panel through which you can see the mechanism. Interesting design, as I've never seen a "real" hunter which didn't have a full-cover back panel. I imagine this is designed to 'show off' that the watch is a real clockwork affair rather than quartz (as so many are nowadays). It's a fine watch for reular use, and I wouldn't be overly concerled if anything negative happened it. The sole 'problem' is that the other end of the chain has a modern-type beltclip kind of thing rather than the T bar I would much rather have. Wish I could figure out some way to convert this.... of course, I might just wear it with one of the vintage straps I have.

I also have two leather straps, probably 30s or 40s, in great condition. Also a brass, gold plated single-chain, with a small compass fob hanging on it. 1930s, really lovely. Only snag is when it arrived (an eBay buy for about a tenner) it's rose gold plate, which won't look right with a yellow gold watch, and the rose gold colour watches seem much harder to find. Still keeping an eye out for a decent hunter or half hunter to match it.

Also keeping half an eye on eBay for nice full double hunter and half hunters in silver and yellow gold colours, seeing what turns up. May well buy an affordable new option rather than spend big money on real vintage, but I'm in no hurry. I've seen some watches that are cosmetically perfect sell heaply needed mechanical repair, but don't know enough about it to know whether that would be a sensible buy - would it end up costing me more to have them serviced and running again than to buy a working example to begin with?

 

[Shangas]

I was never a fan of those cheap, belt-clip watch-chains. I remember removing them from my watch-chains and replacing them with spring-rings instead. When I decided I needed a stronger, better-looking chain, I was determined to go for an Albert.

 

[Feraud]

The mechanical pencil fobs are cool! I assume they expand by pulling on the rear section?

Watch chain fobs come in all designs. From cameos, to pencils, penknives, fraternal, etc., etc. the variety was endless.
Examples-

 

[Sir RBH]

Must get some of my watch chains photographed for these pages..

Well done Chaps

 

[Shangas]

I wish I could buy a double-albert chain. If only to put a ringtop vintage fountain pen onto one end, as a watch-fob.

Darling little ringtop fountain pens such as this one, were common during the 1900s until the 1930s. They were marketed to women and men, as pendants and watch-fobs. Longer, slimmer ringtop fountain pens were sold to women to have ribbons threaded through the rings, and the pen would then be worn around the neck. Shorter ringtop models, such as this one, were called vest-pocket pens. You clipped it onto your Double Albert watch-chain and kept the pen in your waistcoat pocket to stop it getting lost. I wish I had one of these.

 

[Feraud]

What is stopping you Shangas?

 

[Shangas]

Finding a ringtop fountain pen isn't that hard. I know basic fountain pen repair and I can get one cheap and fix it myself.

What's stopping me is that I haven't found a double albert chain within a decent price-range for me, yet. That's what's getting frustrating! I've seen a few, but the prices on them are scary.

The 2009 Melbourne Pen Show is happening in early October. Maybe I'll find a nice ringtop there.

 

[Feraud]

Ah I see. Don't get discouraged. Something will turn up. They always do.

 

[Shangas]

The price of actual gold chains is scary to think of. I'm so glad I managed to get my Albert chain at the price I did. It's only a brass one, but I couldn't hope for a better one. It's strong, it's durable, it was cheap ($20 at the flea-market), looked great after a polishing, and if I could find a double-albert version of it, I'd be on top of the world.

 

[Edward]

Shangas, that little pen looks fantastic.... I must look out for one myself!

 

[Shangas]

Hi Edward,

There are plenty of places online where you can buy pens like these. I suggest going to www.fountainpennetwork.com for starters. There's a whole community of fountain-pen fans (read: "Addicts") there (I'm one of them!), who will be happy to help you in selecting a ringtop model for your own watch-chain. As ringtop fountain pens are a rather niche market, they can be bought for rather small sums of money. Of course, the really pretty ones (which are made of gold and silver), cost a bit more.

 

[Feraud]

Two new chains

A close up of the links.

 

[Bugsy]

Here is my contribution.