Disclosure:The example pieces in this guide are from Ronatelli. The buying advice applies to any brand. Prices were checked on October 28, 2026.
The Cuban link is the bracelet most men picture when they think of a silver chain bracelet: polished links that lie flat and catch the light as the wrist moves. It is also the style with the most room for a bad buy, because one name covers a flat 5 mm curb, a thick Miami Cuban several times its weight, and hollow or plated copies that look identical in a photo. This guide covers what makes a link Cuban, which width suits which wrist, how to tell a solid bracelet from a hollow one by its weight, and which clasp to look for.
Key takeaways
- A Cuban is a curb with rounder, tighter links. A Miami Cuban packs them tighter still. All three lie flat and don’t kink.
- Width: 5 mm for a first bracelet or beside a watch, 6 to 7 mm for everyday wear, 8 mm and up when the bracelet is the main piece.
- Check the grams. A solid 8.5″ sterling Cuban weighs about 10 to 16 g at 4 to 5 mm, 18 to 28 g at 6 to 7 mm, and 30 to 45 g at 8 to 9 mm. Much lighter usually means hollow.
- Clasp: a lobster is fine on a slim Cuban; from about 7 mm up, look for a box clasp with a safety latch, or a fold-over clasp.
- Fit: your wrist plus ¾″ to 1″, and about ¼″ more for a Cuban 8 mm or wider.
In this guide Curb or Cuban Width Solid or hollow Clasps Fit Examples Care FAQ
Curb, Cuban, and Miami Cuban: one family
Every Cuban link bracelet is a curb chain. A curb is built from oval links, each one twisted so the chain lies flat, and that is why it became the default men’s bracelet: it sits flat against the wrist, it doesn’t kink, and every link is closed. In US retail, “Cuban” usually means a curb with rounder, thicker links packed more tightly, and “Miami Cuban” means the tightest and heaviest version, where the links close up so far that the bracelet reads as a solid band. Our guide to chain styles draws all twelve common link patterns side by side.
The tighter the links, the more silver goes into every inch, so at the same width a Miami Cuban weighs more than a flat curb and costs more in solid sterling. Flat curb links are often diamond-cut, with the faces cut at an angle so they flash in the light; rounder Cuban links are usually polished, which gives a softer, continuous shine. The name is usually traced to Miami, where the style was popular in the city’s Cuban community before hip-hop made it a national one, but no single maker or date can be credited.
Width: what 5, 7, 9, and 11 mm say
Width is the first decision and the one most often gotten wrong, usually by going too wide for a first bracelet. On a Cuban the links get thicker as they get wider, so a 9 mm bracelet looks and feels much heavier than a 7 mm one, not just a little wider.
| Width | Reads as | Wear it |
|---|---|---|
| 4–5 mm | Quiet | Beside a watch |
| 6–7 mm | Classic | Every day |
| 8–9 mm | Bold | Casually |
| 10–12 mm | Heavy | On its own |
If you wear a watch, our guide to wearing a bracelet with a watch has the rule that matters: up to 5 mm can share the watch wrist, fitted snug; anything wider goes on the other wrist, where it balances the watch instead of grinding against it. For a first Cuban, 5 to 7 mm is hard to get wrong.
Solid, hollow, or plated: check the grams
A Cuban is the easiest bracelet to fake, because a photo can’t show what is inside the links. Hollow links are made from tube bent into shape: the bracelet looks like a solid one but can weigh as little as a third as much, it dents when it is knocked against a desk, and a dented hollow link usually can’t be repaired. Plated brass or copper looks right for a few months and then wears through at the edges. The number that tells you what you are buying is the weight in grams.
| Width | Solid sterling, 8.5″ | Per inch |
|---|---|---|
| 4–5 mm | 10–16 g | 1.2–1.9 g |
| 6–7 mm | 18–28 g | 2.1–3.3 g |
| 8–9 mm | 30–45 g | 3.5–5.3 g |
| 10–12 mm | 50–80 g | 5.9–9.4 g |
Two listings we checked fit the table: a 7 mm solid sterling Miami Cuban, 9″ long, at about 28 g, and a 5.7 mm solid sterling Cuban at up to 21.5 g in its longest size, 9.5″. If a listing gives no weight, ask for it before you buy. Then check the stamp, 925 or STERLING on the clasp or an end tag; our guide to telling real silver from plated covers the stamp and the tests you can do at home.
Clasps: lobster, box, or fold-over
The clasp decides whether a Cuban stays on, and on a heavy bracelet it takes the most strain. You’ll meet three kinds.
- Lobster clasp. A spring-loaded claw with a trigger, hooked into a ring on the other end. It is fine on a Cuban up to about 6 mm. Choose one 12 mm or longer, which you can work with one hand; a smaller one needs a fingernail.
- Box clasp with a safety latch. A folded tongue on one end pushes into a box on the other until it clicks, and a latch on the side, sometimes a figure-eight catch, closes over a pin as a backup. It is the standard on Cubans from about 7 mm up and on almost every Miami Cuban, and it is the most secure of the three. To open it, lift the latch and press the tab on the tongue.
- Fold-over clasp. Two hinged plates fold flat and snap shut, the same idea as the deployant clasp on a watch. It sits lowest against the wrist and suits flat curb links.
Whichever you get, check that the end links are soldered shut, that a box clasp clicks firmly, and that the latch snaps into place. A clasp that closes softly will one day open on its own.
Fit: how a Cuban should sit
Measure your wrist snugly, just below the wrist bone, and add ¾″ to 1″ for a comfortable fit: a 7″ wrist takes an 8″ bracelet. A Cuban should move a little and rest against the wrist bone without sliding onto the hand. Wide links take up room on the inside, so add about ¼″ more for a Cuban 8 mm or wider. If you will wear it beside a watch, size it snug instead, at your wrist plus ½″ to ¾″. Our bracelet size guide has the full chart and three ways to measure.
Brands that size by letter use their own charts. Ronatelli’s S, M, L, and XL are 7.1″, 7.9″, 8.7″, and 9.5″, for wrists of 5.9″ to 6.7″, 6.7″ to 7.5″, 7.5″ to 8.3″, and 8.3″ to 9.1″, and the brand says to take the larger size when you are between two.
Cuban and curb bracelets at Ronatelli
Six examples from Ronatelli’s bracelet collection, at their listed prices. The widths come from the product pages and the clasps from the product photos.
| Bracelet | Width | Clasp | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bari: Cuban Link Bracelet | Width5 mm | ClaspLobster | Price$169 |
| Cana: Cuban Link Bracelet | Width7 mm | ClaspBox clasp, side latch | Price$199 (was $249) |
| Savona: Cuban Link Bracelet | Width7 mm | ClaspFold-over | Price$249 |
| Fulda: Carved Curb Bracelet | Width7 mm | ClaspLobster | Price$249 |
| Athena: Greek Key Curb Bracelet | Width9 mm | ClaspBox clasp | Price$399 |
| Zeus: Vajra Curb Chain Bracelet | Width11 mm | ClaspBox clasp | Price$539 |
The Bari is the one to start with: a 5 mm Cuban at $169, slim enough for the watch wrist. The Cana and Savona are both 7 mm, the everyday width, and the choice between them is the clasp: the Cana closes with a box clasp and a side latch, the Savona with a fold-over clasp that lies flat. The Fulda, Athena, and Zeus are curbs with engraved links: scrollwork on the Fulda, a Greek key on the Athena, and engraved links around a gold-accented Vajra medallion on the Zeus. Each wears as the one piece on that wrist. All six come in S to XL. Our comparison of all 31 Ronatelli bracelets has the rest of the collection, with ratings.
Prices as listed on ronatelli.com on October 28, 2026; the Cana was on sale. Prices change, so check the product page.
Care: keeping the links bright
Polished Cuban links show everything. Tarnish appears first in the gaps between the links, and fine scratches show on the flat faces. A polishing cloth reaches the faces; for the gaps, a few minutes in warm water with a drop of dish soap and a soft toothbrush does more. Dry the bracelet completely, between the links too, before you put it away. Skip silver dips on engraved pieces such as the Fulda or Athena: the dark recesses are part of the design, and a dip strips them. Our guide to cleaning sterling silver at home covers the methods that are safe on a bracelet.
- Take it off for the gym and heavy work. A bar or a tool handle presses the links into the wrist and can bend a clasp.
- Keep it out of pools and hot tubs. Chlorine darkens sterling fast; rinse it after sweat or the beach, too. Our guide to why sterling tarnishes explains what speeds it up.
- Store it flat and closed, in a pouch or a sealed bag, so the links don’t scratch each other or catch on other pieces.
- Check the clasp every few months. The latch should still snap shut and the tongue should still click.
FAQ
What is the difference between a Cuban link and a curb bracelet?
A Cuban link is a kind of curb. Both use twisted oval links that lie flat; a Cuban’s links are rounder, thicker, and packed more tightly, so it weighs more at the same width. A Miami Cuban is the tightest and heaviest version.
What width Cuban link bracelet should a man wear?
5 mm for a first bracelet or beside a watch, 6 to 7 mm for everyday wear on the other wrist, and 8 mm or more when the bracelet is meant to be the main piece.
How much should a sterling silver Cuban bracelet weigh?
For a solid bracelet 8.5 inches long, about 10 to 16 g at 4 to 5 mm, 18 to 28 g at 6 to 7 mm, and 30 to 45 g at 8 to 9 mm. One that is much lighter is probably hollow.
Is a hollow Cuban link bracelet worth buying?
Only as a short-term piece. Hollow links dent when they are knocked and usually can’t be repaired, so for daily wear a solid bracelet at a narrower width is the better buy.
What is the best clasp for a Cuban link bracelet?
A box clasp with a safety latch, for anything 7 mm or wider. On a slimmer bracelet a lobster clasp 12 mm or longer is fine, and a fold-over clasp suits flat curb links.
Can you wear a Cuban link bracelet with a watch?
Yes. On the same wrist, keep it to about 5 mm and fit it snug. Anything wider belongs on the other wrist, where the steel case can’t scratch it.
Bottom line
Buy a Cuban by width, weight, and clasp, in that order. For a first bracelet, 5 to 7 mm in solid sterling suits almost every wrist and wardrobe. Check the grams against the table above, and from about 7 mm up look for a box clasp with a safety latch. Size it at your wrist plus ¾″ to 1″, a little more for wide links, and keep it on the wrist without your watch unless it is slim.
From the collection
Men’s sterling silver bracelets by Ronatelli
Thirty-one handmade 925 bracelets, from a 3.5 mm bamboo link to an 11 mm woven band, in sizes S to XL. Every cuff is adjustable.
Related guides
Link definitions follow our chain styles guide; widths, weights, and fit follow our bracelets and sizing guides. The two listing weights are from a 7 mm solid sterling Miami Cuban bracelet sold at Walmart and a 5.7 mm solid sterling Cuban bracelet from Lily Blanche. Ronatelli widths and prices come from its product pages and the clasps from its product photos. All were checked on October 28, 2026, and may have changed since. Read our editorial policy.
