Considered an important part of the ritual of carrying a pocket watch, fobs were indispensable accessories throughout the Victorian era. They were also referred to as  ‘Albert Chains’ in memory of Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert who never appeared in morning attire without a watch chain.

Such chains were also worn by Victorian ladies, referred to as ‘Albertina Chains’ which were lighter, longer and more delicate in design to suit the feminine gender, worn either with ladies’ lapel watches or simply as chain necklaces. The Victorian Albert Chain maintained its popularity well into the Edwardian era and was gradually modified into a ‘Double Albert Chain’ with great appeal for young Edwardian gentlemen.  The new version had a fob on one end of the chain and a Vesta case on the other, the latter being a small airtight box or container, usually made of silver but occasionally gold, designed to hold the dangerous phosphorus matches then used to light cigars!

Although no longer a functional accessory or an important part of the pocket watch ritual, authentic fob chains continue to be highly prized and in great demand, worn as classic necklaces and either collected for their antiquity, or since World War I, for their sentimental significance. It was a tradition during such times for husbands and boyfriends to leave their fob chains on English soil with their wives and sweethearts for safekeeping where wives and girlfriends expressed their love by wearing them around their neck.

Article copyright 2007 by Fay Cullen. All rights reserved.

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