My granddad used a fob chain to attach his pocket watch to his clothing. His chain had a bar on one end that passed through his waistcoat buttonhole. The chains attached to the bar had a clasp on it that clipped onto his watch, which then went into the fob pocket of his waistcoat. He had a religious medal that hung from the chain.
I think these may be called Albert chains in the UK. This article is very interesting, and is the source of the three photographs below.
This is a double fob chain
My local thrift store always has the most amazing watch chains. I use a double one as a necklace and a single one as a bracelet. They are both made in rolled gold by the German Company Amerikaner.
There is also a user on Reddit, themixtape28, who has the most amazing vintage fob chains and charms. She posts regularly in the jewellery subreddit.
