This is guáchior stáil, and my name is éric. In today’s video, we are going to review a topic, which is not necessarily related to luxury watch collecting. but I get a lot of phone calls and questions about it. Since I was born in maiámi and grew up here, I know a lot about it. In other words, I have a lot of experience in everything related not only to its manufacture, but above all to its sale in the market.
We are talking, then, of the famous Cuban chains. So let’s start. the Cuban link chain has many different names. some call it the sidewalk chain or curb chéin. others call it the franco chain, the popular franco chéin.
But that’s not important. Be that as it may, the real name of this famous garment is: Cuban link chain.
Or simply. quiúban línk chéin. Now let’s see.
It is a very traditional design that has been around for a long time. And it is a design that will also remain in force in the future, without a doubt. since we are talking about a very traditional style, as we will see. I don’t know if you remember that time when all those chains with those exotic links were in fashion. more or less between two thousand and two thousand and three.
I never really liked them. I always stayed true to the Cuban link chain. It was always my style. I’ve had a chain of these since I was 12 years old. And having said that, there is a wide variety of styles, from Cuban link chains.
it really depends a lot on who is making it. and, of course, also how you are making it. that is extremely important.
Although I would love for this video to become an episode of Discovery Chánnel, unfortunately we do not have enough time to delve so deeply into the subject. And actually, it’s not our central goal in this video either.
so now we are going to go over some points of view on that. and we are going to evaluate what we should look for when we go to buy one of these chains. and also, recognize the difference between a high quality Cuban chain and a not so good one. Then. These Cuban link chains can be made of silver.
They can also be found in other sought-after metals, such as platinum. we are talking about fourteen carats. eighteen carats. or even ten carats too. They are also available in rose gold.
or in yellow gold, of course. to the taste of each client. Everything can be done. and it also depends on the weight. Many people sell the chains for pennies.
and other people sell them by the gram, which in my opinion is better.
I prefer to work in grams because it makes things simpler, and it is easier for clients to understand what we are talking about. And as for these Cuban link chains, in addition to quality, another important aspect is size. Some guys die from the big chains. You can imagine, they want chains ranging from two hundred and fifty grams to half a kilo, that is, five hundred grams.
these are really huge chains. I particularly wear a chain of one hundred and thirty grams every day. which also has seven millimeters. and it’s eighteen carats. more than enough for me.
I generally prefer eighteen karat chains. I recommend that you do not go below fourteen carats. It is true that a ten carat chain is more affordable, but personally, it does not seem so convenient. there is nothing wrong with a ten karat chain, but I think a fourteen karat is a much better start. especially if you plan to melt it down or sell it in the future.
You already know. Just in case. So one of the most important characteristics of a high quality Cuban link chain is the finish of the links.
that is, the polish, the angles, the distribution. Now, in case you don’t know, I’ll explain.
Machine-made chains are very different from hand-made chains. generally, machine-made chains are the smallest. for example, chains of five millimeters or less. I’m going to talk about everything, about the Cuban gold link chains, made by hand. And believe it or not, this involves a rather long and thorough process.
They start with gold. They already know. obviously they melt it, to turn the material into a bar. then the next step is to form a series of rods. and these are then thinned little by little and carefully, until they reach the exact point.
Let’s use this pen as an example. the process begins like this. and they are extending the rod until it becomes longer and longer, until they reach the correct gauge. Later they roll it up, and cut it into rings. finally the pieces are welded.
anyway. it is a very long process. but it is handmade and that is special. One of the most important aspects is who is making your chain. since, as in any other field, there are people who simply have a higher job and better quality.
the team that I work with to make the chains is the best. As I was saying, I have been doing this for a long time. And I have Cuban chains made by all the artisans of maiámi. And I can tell you that the guy I work with right now is the best of all. I am quite picky about the quality of the chain when it comes to polishing.
the chain must be polished correctly. at the right angle, which is not an easy task. Any Cuban link chain can be thinner and wider. and that way you will get more bang for your buck, if you want a thicker chain, but don’t want it to weigh that much.
But actually, there is this kind of range within which you want to stick to.
If what you want is to buy the correct Cuban chain, heed the recommendations. If you instead want a wider and less thick chain, go ahead, your problem. Oh by the way. There are other types of Cuban chains, especially those that have flat designs. Those are good too.
But I’m going to deal with the traditional Cuban chain of maiámi links.
So as for the difference between a cheap Cuban chain and a higher quality Cuban chain, let’s start with the karats. Some of these guys will sell you a fourteen karat Cuban link chain. Alright, you think you’re saving a ton of money. you sit with your calculator at home.
You do your calculations and voila. you are satisfied with the price per gram. But the problem is that when you try it, you may not get fourteen carats of purity. if not, for example, three point two, or something like that. which is unacceptable.
So, this is one of the factors to take into account. a high quality fourteen karat chain should return fourteen karat or more.
never less. The second thing is the finish. Maybe for some of you, this is not very important.
I perfectly understand. You guys might want as much gold as possible for your money and that’s fine. however, I am a true fan of quality. I want all the chains, and each and every link, to be welded and polished as precisely as possible. A great way to test the quality of Cuban link chain, for example, is to open the chain carefully.
and then hold her like this, on her side. notice. A high quality Cuban link chain will always hang straight. It should never roll. And if you notice, on the side profile, you can see that it is evenly polished.
in that regard, the string should not have any inconsistencies. Yes indeed. I know that for some people this doesn’t matter. but for me, it is a big problem. One thing I want to emphasize about Cuban link chains is that compared to watches and things like that, it’s mostly about what you like, rather than brands, for example.
I mean, some people like long chains, while others prefer them short and close to the throat. it all depends. so you just have to get what you like. you know, if you like the chain to look really short like you are an egyptian prince, that’s what you like, I get it. If you want to see yourself as a junkie in two thousand and one, and have the chain up to your waist, excellent.
No problem, as long as you like it and it makes you feel comfortable. a lot of guys here in maiámi also like these big cuban link bracelets.
I don’t really like them very much. is not my style. like I told you before, I prefer a thin chain for everyday wear.
So, you know, you have to buy what you like best. platinum. White gold. pink gold. whatever you want.
Like I said, when it comes to chains, the sky is the limit. Another thing that I also want to tell you, is that it has become very popular in certain circles, to have one of these huge one-kilo chains. and let me tell you what my recommendation is in this regard. If you’re ever going to make a Cuban chain of no less than a kilo, a huge one. giant.
Cuban chain of a tremendous kilo.
thousand grams. indeed, it looks great. but my advice to you is another. My humble recommendation is that you send yourself to make several small chains.
I mean, in my opinion it is preferable to have eight chains of two hundred and fifty grams, to have a single huge chain of two kilos, for example. since, in this way you have many more options to choose and change. I personally prefer the multi-chain lúk to the single large chain. this also allows you the flexibility of using a single chain or a few of them. or to change them every day.
all of that is excellent. also if one day you want to use them all at the same time to generate some impact or to provoke responses from people. anyway. These are just a few ideas on the subject. If you liked this video, don’t forget to like and share it.
And also, subscribe to our channel. My name is Eric. this is guáchior stail..