Ultimate Showdown: machine-made vs handmade Miami Cuban link chains 

So I know what you guys are thinking. Because I handmake Miami Cuban link chains and that is ultimately what I’m known for, I’m going to give you guys a real convincing video as to why you should buy handmade over machine-made but the reality is I’m not. 

Because guess what?

I’m going to give you the nonbiased pros and cons about both of them. We’re going to go through the 5 biggest selling points of both chains, and we’re going to see which is better for you.

The Appearance

The appearance, of course, is the most distinguishing factor when it comes to both styles. I know that people call them Miami Cuban link chains when they’re made in Italy. But there really isn’t anything Miami Cuban link about an Italian-made chain because at the end of the day, they’re machine-made. And the biggest difference as far as the naked eye, is always going to be the spacing. Machines are always going to have a bit more gaps than when we handmake them. The machines are calibrated to have two interacting points. One of them curls the wire and the other one solders the other curl in a completely different direction. That chain is then turned and passed through another machine that solders the links together, and it creates a pattern that mimics the look. They just can’t get as tight as a regular Miami Cuban link.

In front of me is a more in-depth look so that you can see the spacing that I’m talking about. When you’re looking at a handmade one, we try to tighten those links as much as we possibly can. It is really only noticeable when you are getting a bird’s eye view so if you start looking at chains when they’re laying on your chest you’ll see that the links appear to be tighter. You could only really see the gaps when you’re looking at it from the top.

The File

The second biggest thing is the file, and this is where people pinpoint and say, That’s the reason why I like the handmade ones." Because an original handmade file can never be duplicated. Finished links are perfectly in unison when they’re machine-made, but there’s a big imperfection when you handle them. As you are stroking the file (pause) through the actual chain itself, you give it more of an oval shape that people love. But the machine-made ones all kind of mimic what the file is supposed to look like, but there isn't a human actually filing them. In addition, the file is almost exactly the same in any machine-made Cuban, whether you buy them from Italy or down here in Miami from yours truly, Gusvilla Jewelry. They mimic the file by essentially cutting the link on the top and almost flattening it. The handmade one has a bit of a deeper groove cuz you’re stroking the file back and forth and back and forth. And people have their own style when it comes to hand-filing a Cuban. 

There are some shops out there that have something very flat, for instance, Daniel Jewelry Inc., which we have a review out there. There are some a little bubblier, coming from the old school type of filing, and the more modern style, the way I like it, is a combination of the two. It's flat, but also really oval. Beautiful. 

The Locks

Now, let’s move over to the locks. Italy makes most machine-made Miami Cuban link chains. They make some incredible machines, all consistent, all beautiful. However, for the curb chain - which is what we call Miami Cuban chains - they like to put a lobster clasp. It rarely comes with a box lock. The ones here at Gusvilla, we make them with box locks. Typically they’re not going to come that way. 

And a lot of people don’t like that lobster clasp. It’s a bit of an old school style, and when you do a handmade one they’re going to come with box locks. It’s more traditional. These boxes are going to have the the figure eights on the side, it has a little bit more synergy and it isn’t a lock used on any other chain. Unlike the lobster claps, which are used on others like the Figaro or the Franco. We also have different styles, for instance, a sleek lock or a handmade lock as opposed to a casted one. We, of course, handmake the lock boxes in every gold order. 

The Pricing

Now, here’s the biggest elephant in the room. The cost. Because machine-made Cubans are much cheaper than handmade ones, a lot of people prefer the machine-made ones. Handmaking a smaller link is a difficult, time-consuming, labor-intensive task. Because there it takes so many links to make a big chain, jewelers won’t usually make links under 8mm. At GVJ, we do them all the way down to 5mm because we hate ourselves.

But the truth is it is a very difficult link to pull off. Now, what are the benefits of having something that’s machine-made? You’re going to get the same width at a much cheaper price because the companies that are making them are pumping out so many of them. Say for instance it’s a 5mm, 50 gram, you’re going to pay about 10% or 15% over the spot price of gold. However, if you want something to be handmade it’s going to come with a heavy, heavy premium because of how many hours it takes for a jeweler to pull that off. Machine-made chains were made is so that the jeweler wouldn’t have to spend that time making something and still turn a profit. That’s why you don’t hear people hand-making 2 mm or 3 mm.

I mean even me saying that makes me want to jump off a bridge. So Italian machine-made chains are going to be cheaper. If you want something that’s handmade it’s going to come at a premium. You be the judge. Whether you decide which one is better or not, if you want my personal opinion, I’m the type of person who likes to pay for a premium experience. However, it depends on what it is. 

The Wait Time

Now, let’s talk about how long people have to wait for a machine-made chain or a handmade one. Now, this isn’t always the case. For the most part - knock on wood - I am very blessed that we have so many orders right now, that we have people waiting up to 3 weeks for a piece. If you are ordering a machine-made chain... most jewelers are going to purchase these in bulk so most of the time they’re going to be ready in stock by the time you order it. And let’s say you don’t want to wait, you place the order online, 3 days later that chain is in your hand. Most of the time handmade Miami Cuban link chains are going to be made to order and so, there is a waiting grace period. Now if that doesn’t matter to you, wait for it. If you really want that handmade look it’s going to be worth it. If you just want that Cuban around your neck, there is no one knocking when someone is impatient. I sympathize with you. If you got it in stock and you order it, do it. I want that overnight my boy. 

Bonus tip: Seek an Honest Jeweler

Here’s a bonus tip for all you guys out there. Unfortunately handmade Miami Cuban link chains are made by many people down here in Miami and the reality is they are not all the most honest people. The beauty about Italian or machine-made Cuban link chains is that they are going to be more consistently truthful with the purity that you are purchasing. In other words, if you purchase a chain that says 10K or 14K that comes from Italy, they are so consistent with being 14K or 10K or 18K that they advertise. It is so on the button that I can close my eyes and if I were a betting man, I’d bet the house on it matching the purity test that was advertised. Unfortunately on the other hand, with the handmade ones, there are a lot of games that people play and making chains that are under karat, plating them to come out over karat, maybe they play the lead game. 

Don't Play the Lead Game 

Let me give you guys a hint on what the lead game is. They put lead in your chain to make it look heavier and plate it on the outside. There’s a thousand things that I’ve seen. It is so important to purchase your Miami Cuban link from a reputable dealer because people play games. If you don’t even want to deal with that, go the machine-made route. The biggest suggestion that I can possibly give you, if you are purchasing a Miami Cuban link and you want something that’s either 14K plumb or higher, 10K plumb or higher, research the jeweler that you are purchasing from. Find other customers, ask them if they actually received that they bought from this jeweler.

Of course, we do sell handmade and machine-made chains here at GVJ, but we specialize in handmade Miami Cuban link chains. If you have questions outside of everything that you’ve seen here, and you want to ask personally, go on our website, send us an email, or give us a call.

If you’re in the market for any sort of Cuban link chain we are your number one source for that. We’d love to earn your business. I hope that you found some sort of value from everything that was shown here. Hopefully it made your decision a little bit easier.