A watch chain within the previous days was an ornamental chain hooked up to a pocket watch that served each practical and decorative functions. Earlier than wristwatches grew to become standard, pocket watches have been the first timekeeping units, and watch chains performed a vital position in securing and adorning them.
The practical side of watch chains was to forestall the pocket watch from being dropped or misplaced. The chain could be hooked up to a belt loop or buttonhole on the wearer’s clothes, guaranteeing that the watch remained safely in place. Moreover, watch chains allowed the watch to be simply accessed and withdrawn from the pocket to be used.