Cuban Link Bracelets

A Cuban bracelet is stiffer than a fine chain bracelet, so it needs a little more room. Measure your wrist just below the bone and add about an inch for a Cuban, a bit more for very wide links, which take up room inside the circle.

Most men land at 8 to 8.5 inches; most women at 6.5 to 7.5. The full method is in Cuban bracelet sizing.

The classic set is a bracelet that matches the chain's width and color. Matching works because the links look identical, so the pieces read as one set. Some men go one size wider on the bracelet, since a wrist is a smaller canvas and a slightly bigger link reads in proportion. The Cuban chains on the site run from the Miami Cuban Link Chain 1.50mm ($495) to the Hollow Cuban Chain 8.5mm ($4,870); see the full list at Cuban link chains and the width guide.

Cuban bracelets are not listed as stock pieces right now. The closest is the Curb Chain Bracelet ($315), a solid 10K yellow gold curb, the family the Cuban link belongs to. For a true Cuban bracelet matched to your chain, the custom process gives you a design and an exact price before anything is made, then the piece is made and delivered, insured. See custom bracelets. For other men's pieces in stock, see men's bracelets.

A bracelet takes more impact than a chain. It hits desks and car doors, so hollow links dent faster on the wrist than on the neck, and sellers warn that dented hollow links are often not repairable. For a Cuban bracelet worn every day, solid links are the right call. Weight scales with width: our weight chart shows how grams climb, and Cuban link prices shows what that means in dollars.

Most Cuban bracelets use a box clasp, which sits flush with the links. On anything worn daily, that box should have a side safety latch, and two latches are better than one. Lobster clasps appear on narrow Cuban bracelets. Check the clasp every few months; it takes the most wear.

A gold Cuban bracelet is all about polish and weight. A diamond Cuban bracelet sets stones across the top of each link. Lab-grown diamonds are real diamonds and cost less per carat, which matters on a bracelet with many stones; natural stones cost more. 10K gold is harder than 14K, a plus on the wrist. See the Cuban buying guide.

• Heavy for its size. A solid Cuban has real weight in the hand; a hollow one feels light and sounds tinny when tapped.
• Flat on the wrist. The links should lie flush with no gaps or twisted links.
• Flush clasp. The box clasp should sit level with the links and close with a firm click.
• Room to move. You should slide a finger under it; it should not pass over the hand.
• Stamped. Look for 10K, 14K, 417 or 585 near the clasp.

Bring your chain if you have one, so the bracelet can be matched by eye.

A Cuban bracelet next to a watch is the Miami classic, but the links and the case will rub. Match metals and wear the bracelet on the opposite wrist if you want both to stay scratch-free. To clean, soak in warm soapy water and brush between the links, where sweat and sunscreen collect. Visit the showroom at 7900 NW 27th Ave, Unit 506, Miami FL 33147 to talk through a build. More at bracelets.