10/14/2026
I love a good watch chain. Talk about an antique piece of jewelry with character. These pieces were never meant to be worn around the neck, stacked with other necklaces and holders of charm jumbles. But here we are and Iâm glad for the most epic restyling of a piece.
Even so, Iâm always leery of a watch chain in excellent, pristine condition. These pieces were originally worn everyday, all day long- tugged on and grasped when checking the time. That means that these pieces have wear, dirt/grime, patina and other marks of a life well lived. Many times when a component failed, dog clip, spring ring, it was replaced- and sometimes not with a like for like part (hello gold fill!).
And all that to say that I picked up a lovely true yellow 18k watch chain. This new arrival is good, bad and ugly all at once. Swipe on for the details, all of them. And if youâre interested in acquiring this piece, letâs chat.
The good⌠crafted (mostly) in 18k yellow gold, no rosy tone and at a good wearable length of just over 16â. Each curb link bears a crown (UK) and 18 for the gold fineness. No other marks however. The components are all original and 18k as well. And the dog clip and spring ring function well.
Now the bad. Some of the links connecting the main curb chain with the dog clip have quite a bit of wear. And one link is open as shown. The wear is mainly localized to these connecting links, which leads me to the next pointâŚ
And the ugly⌠those connecting pieces of chain are 14k not 18k. Added later to lengthen the chain. The good news is that the original spring ring and dog clip were kept and attached to these pieces. And if it bothers you, the 14k links could be removed.
There is some thinning on the components but not enough to be a problem.
Iâm sharing all of this because I want my clients to know exactly what they will be receiving. I tend to be hyper-sensitive to condition and disclosure thereof. Iâve purchased jewelry with issues that was not disclosed (and not fixable) and to say I was irritated is an understatement. As if that wasnât bad enough, engaging with a seller where every piece is described as pristine condition when clearly itâs not