History of the Watch Fob
A hundred years in the palm of your hand
First, It Was a Pocket
In the 1600s, a "fob" wasn't jewelry at all. It was a small pocket sewn into the waistband of a man's breeches, just big enough to hold a pocket watch. The word likely comes from an old German term for pocket.
Over time, the name moved from the pocket to what hung out of it: the chain, ribbon, or strap that kept the watch secure, and the small ornament dangling at its end. That ornament is the piece we call a watch fob today.
The earliest fobs did a job. Many pocket watches had to be wound with a tiny key, so men kept the key on the chain where they couldn't lose it. Others carried a fob seal, a small carved stamp used to press a monogram or crest into hot wax and seal a letter.
As watches improved and those tools fell out of use, the fob stayed. It became a place for a man to say something about himself: his initials, his family, his school, his lodge, his trade. Fobs were engraved, enameled, set with stones, and carved from gold, silver, and brass. Some marked an achievement. Some were gifts. Some were kept in memory of someone loved and lost.
Through the 19th and early 20th centuries, the pocket watch and its chain were a fixture of a well-dressed man's waistcoat, draped from a buttonhole across the front of the vest. The fob hung at the end, in plain view, as personal as a signature.
Women wore their own versions too, with watches and keepsakes hung from brooches, pins, and chatelaines at the waist.
In the early 20th century, the wristwatch took over. Soldiers in the First World War needed to check the time without reaching into a pocket, and men came home wearing watches on their wrists. Within a generation, the pocket watch became an heirloom, and its fob was tucked away in a dresser drawer, a jewelry box, or an estate sale tray.
Today, most people know "fob" as the thing on their car keys. But the originals are still out there, waiting to be worn again.
A Second Life, Around Your Neck
Every watch fob in our One of One collection is 100 years old or more. Each is hand-selected by our founder, Elizabeth, and paired with chains, pearls, and details chosen to honor its character, then made by hand in the USA.
The initials, worn edges, and soft patina are part of the story. Someone carried this fob through their days long before you, and now it carries on with you.
