Name/Title
Expansion watch bracelet, gold-tone (stainless steel)Entry/Object ID
2025.1.244Description
A gold-tone expansion (stretch/expandable) watch bracelet of the linked-block type: rows of small rectangular metal links connected by internal springs so the band stretches to slip over the hand. The top faces are gold-tone with a textured finish (one band has a fine engine-turned/wave texture, the other a squarer basketweave-like texture); the end pieces are gold-tone straight-end connectors for attaching to a watch case. The reverse shows bright steel link undersides stamped repeatedly "STAINLESS STEEL" and, at the end links, "MADE IN CHINA." There are two such bracelets, similar but with slightly different link textures; each is shown front and back.Use
Kept by Gertrudis Caraballo GálvezCollection
The Cabrera Arús family collection, Gertrudis Caraballo Gálvez collecitionMade/Created
Place
Country
People's Republic of ChinaContinent
AsiaNotes
MAKER: Unknown maker; unbranded replacement watch bands. Stamped "STAINLESS STEEL / MADE IN CHINA" on the link backs (origin of manufacture: China); no brand name.
DATE / PERIOD: Not dated; later 20th century (estimated). Expansion bands are long-running; the "Made in China" marking suggests a later-twentieth-century (or later) manufacture. Undetermined more precisely.Inscription/Signature/Marks
Notes
On link reverses, repeated "STAINLESS STEEL"; at the end links, "MADE IN CHINA." No brand or model.
Languages: English.Materials
Material
SteelMaterial Notes
MATERIALS: Stainless steel links (so stamped) with gold-tone plating; internal expansion springs; gold-tone end connectors.
TECHNIQUES: Assembled expansion bracelet — stamped textured top links and plain steel underside links joined over internal springs to form an expandable band; straight-end connectors for spring-bar attachment to a watch.Relationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Gertrudis Caraballo GálvezNotes
ownerRelated Places
Place
City
HavanaCountry
CubaRegion
Caribbean, Central AmericaNotes
usePlace
Country
People's Republic of ChinaContinent
AsiaNotes
productionResearch Notes
Notes
These are two gold-tone expansion watch bracelets — generic, unbranded replacement bands of the springy stretch type, made in China of plated stainless steel. They are accessories/spare parts rather than complete watches: detached bands kept (likely as spares or replacements) for a wristwatch. Their interest is modest and contextual — they sit alongside the Soviet "Slava" wristwatch (which is on an improvised strap) and document the practical business of keeping watches wearable, the same repair-and-replacement theme seen across this material; whether either band was ever fitted to a specific watch in the holdings is not established and should not be assumed.Created By
María A. Cabrera ArúsCreate Date
June 4, 2026Updated By
María A. Cabrera ArúsUpdate Date
June 14, 2026
