Pocketwatches

**Bryan** · 14th December 08, 09:56 PM

I have a very nice pocket watch my sister gave me when my wife and I were married many years ago. I wear it on numerous occasions, but I've never worn it with a vest. Next Sunday, the wife and I will be attending the ballet and I will be wearing my Argyll with a matching 5 button waistcoat.

So, my question is, how exactly do connect the watch to the vest? I know some run the chain through one of the button holes and you usually wear the watch on the side you DON'T favor (I believe this comes from the idea that you should be able to write and check the time simultaneously). Which button hole do you run it through? And should the chain "drape" equally on both sides of said hole? Gentlemen, please sound off.

BTW, the watch does not have a fob on one end, but a garment clip.

**Bugbear** · 14th December 08, 10:15 PM

What I do is put something on the clip end of the chain as a fob: like a pocket knife or keys. The fob goes in one vest pocket, and the watch goes in the other pocket with the chain across the front of the waistcoat.
However, I do know that some people connect the chain clip to the button hole of the jacket, and others put the clip on the lapell buttonhole and the watch in the breast pocket.
I like to have the chain hang evenly across the front of the vest, and that is easily done from pocket to pocket; it also works out better if you have to take the jacket off.

* Ok, I rewrote some of that, so it made more sense, and so I look a little better.

*

**Beertigger** · 14th December 08, 11:27 PM

I'd say Ted's got the right idea here.

**O'Callaghan** · 15th December 08, 05:54 AM

I always used to wear mine with a waistcoat and put the fob through a buttonhole and the watch in the pocket. However, my pocketwatch got stolen in a break-in, so I don't have it anymore, and I inherited it from my grandfather. It had a medallion on the chain, I think from his post office soccer team. They stole his medals from WW1 as well.

**svc40bt** · 15th December 08, 06:09 AM

My father has an antique conductors pocket watch that belonged to my great grandfather. It has a chain, a small pocket knife with a loop to clip on to the chain, and a t-bar loop over the chain.

I have worn it once or twice with a waist coat as Ted explained above. The t-bar goes into the buttonhole of the waistcoat so you don't have to put the chain through the buttonhole.

If you are not wearing a waist coat, assuming you are wearing a traditional style kilt, I would favor a leather pouch on the belt with the chain attached to a leather keeper.

**Standard** · 15th December 08, 06:15 AM

I have my greatgrandfather's packet watch which I wear occasionally. When wearing the watch with a waistcoat I put watch in righthand pocket, chain hanging across the front of the vest and fob (small attached pocket knife) in the lefthand pocket. This knife has two chains connecting the watch to the fob, and a small square slider hanging in the middle of the two chains. One chain is slightly longer than the other so that there is a very nice drape to the longer (lower) chain. I never run the chain through the button hole.

**Sir William** · 15th December 08, 06:57 AM

A pocket watch and chain add a nice touch to a waistcoat (vest).

I prefer to put the watch in the left hand pocket (I'm right handed) and drape the chain across the front. If the chain has a T-bar I insert it in a buttonhole, but if not, and its long enough, I'll thread the chain through the button hole so as to get the same effect. If the chain isn't long enough, then I just attach it to the buttonhole if I can. I don't like putting it on the lapel with the clip.

I usually thread the chain though a buttonhole at or slightly above the pocket level. However, I've examined quite a few photographs of men wearing pocketwatches and their seems to be a lot of personal variations - in short, they wore it as they wanted to. You'll sometimes see a small "token" or two hanging from the chain such as a key to wind the watch, a lodge emblem (the Masons were quite popular), etc. The small knife was usually meant for cutting off the end of cigars.

I've sometimes worn it with just a leather strap and fob, but I prefer the look of the chain.

**Bryan** · 15th December 08, 07:36 AM

Originally Posted by Sir William

I prefer to put the watch in the left hand pocket (I'm right handed) and drape the chain across the front. If the chain has a T-bar I insert it in a buttonhole, but if not, and its long enough, I'll thread the chain through the button hole so as to get the same effect. If the chain isn't long enough, then I just attach it to the buttonhole if I can. I don't like putting it on the lapel with the clip.

Thanks for the advice. I've done a little research on the matter and it seems a mix between Sir Williams' and Ted's advice is a more traditional way to wear it (which is what I'm looking for), but everywhere I look stresses the fact that there's not really a "right way" so you are free to wear it anyway you like.

**Bugbear** · 15th December 08, 11:03 AM

Well, that's good; guess it's a little like folding a pocket square.

I've just found that putting it through a button hole tends to cause me movement problems, and the chain doesn't drape evenly across the front of the waistcoat.

One of my suit waistcoats has a loop of fabric inside each pocket near the front top corner. I'm guessing that can be used to attach the fob.

**MacMillan of Rathdown** · 15th December 08, 11:32 AM

You are looking at three things:

The watch, the chain (often called an "Albert" after the prince of the same name), and the fob (which is generally regarded as the small pen knife, seal, or some other thing on the end of the chain opposite the watch).

Somewhere along the chain (perhaps in the middle) is a small "T" bar-- this dictates where the chain will attach to the button hole. Generally speaking this attaches to the top most button on a 3 button vest, and to the button hole above the line of the pockets on a 5 button vest.

If there is no "T" bar, then the chain may be worn in a single curve from pocket to pocket, or threaded through a button hole, as above.

The watch may be worn in either pocket-- it is totally up to the wearer-- and there are no hard and fast rules.

A "proper" fob is a bit of black silk or velvet ribbon (about an inch wide) attached to the watch and hung over the edge of the pocket, usually with a seal attached. This is very much a Georgian/Regency affectation not much encountered nowadays.

If you have trouble getting both the button and the chain or "T" bar through the button hole you can have a small vertical button hole sewn in your waistcoat slightly to the side of the existing button hole exclusively for you Albert.