In the 1700s, men began carrying pocket watches, each fastened to a decorative chain, or, fob chain. Over time, fobs became a fashion statement with many representations of who the wearer is. It bore special inscriptions dedicated to achievements, clubs, or advertisements.

On the back of the fobs, the markings or stamping, indicate who made it, where it was made or what assay office it went through, and when it was made. I researched how to decipher the typical markings on watch fobs for fun. A seller told me they found a piece from the 1930s, but upon further research through the markings, it turned out to be from 1896. That was a joy to discover. If a written inscription on the back has a date, that’s not the age of the metal piece itself. That’s the date it was inscribed. Vintage on top of vintage.

These beautiful and meaningful pieces are like a wearable time machine, but they are also just plain fun to wear!