These two barely compete. Our Franco runs 3,8 to 4,7 mm; our Cuban link starts at 6 mm and goes to 12,2 mm. Franco stops roughly where Cuban begins, so the real question is not which is better but which of two very different intentions you have.
There is one place the two ranges meet, and it is the only place a direct comparison is possible: our 6 mm Cuban link and our 4,7 mm Franco cost about the same. Almost the same money, almost the same amount of silver — and two chains that could not look less alike.
The one place they overlap
| Chain | Width | Weight (50 cm) |
|---|---|---|
| Franco | 4,7 mm | 55 g |
| Cuban link | 6 mm | 49 g |
The Franco is 1,3 mm narrower and 6 g heavier. At roughly the same price, it gives you slightly more silver in a visibly smaller chain.
That is the trade in one line. If you want the metal but not the visibility, Franco. If you want the chain to be seen, Cuban — and at that point you should probably be looking above 6 mm anyway.
Why the Franco packs more in
A Franco is built from V-shaped links that slot into one another to form a square profile with four flat faces. There is almost no air anywhere in the chain, and the flat faces give it a smooth, almost machined surface rather than an obviously linked one.
A Cuban link uses flattened oval links, twisted and pressed so they seat deeply into each other. Dense by the standards of a curb chain, but still built from loops with space inside them.
Density is where Franco wins and width is where Cuban wins, and the two effects mostly cancel out at the bottom of the Cuban range. Above 6 mm, Cuban runs away with it — our 9,1 mm is 98 g and our 10,5 mm is 130 g, roughly double and triple the Franco.
What each one is for
Franco is the chain you never take off. At 3,8 mm it sits under a collar and is invisible in a work context, while still weighing 36 g — substantial in the hand, unnoticeable on a shirt. The square profile lies flat and holds its line rather than pooling. It is the piece to choose if you want silver as a constant rather than an occasion.
Cuban is the chain you put on deliberately. Even at 6 mm it reads clearly as a chain; at 9,1 mm and above it is visible across a room and is the main thing you are wearing. The closed, continuous surface is what does that — it catches light as one form rather than as a series of links. If the chain you are really weighing it against is a curb rather than a Franco, that comparison is in Cuban link vs curb chain.
Practical differences worth knowing
Range. Franco: 3,8 and 4,7 mm, necklace only. Cuban: 6, 9,1, 10,5 and 12,2 mm, necklace and bracelet in 19 and 22 cm. If you want a matching bracelet, only one of these is an option.
Under a jacket. Only a fragment of a chain shows between lapels, and Franco's flat faces read better in a small window than Cuban's bulk, which needs space to make sense.
Clasp. Franco uses a lobster clasp, the standard spring-loaded hook. The Cuban uses a box clasp: one end slots into the other and clicks shut, with two small safety clips either side of that main catch. Three fastenings rather than one, and because it is finished flush with the chain it can be worn turned to the front as part of the piece.
Layering. A fine Franco over a wider Cuban is the most reliable two-chain combination we offer — enough width contrast to read as deliberate, and two link structures that look nothing alike.
Cleaning. Both hide tarnish in the joints where a cloth cannot reach, Franco because its links seat tightly and Cuban because they seat deeply. Both want a silver dip rather than a cloth alone — a liquid cleaner you immerse the chain in for a couple of minutes, which reaches the joints a cloth physically cannot.
Which to choose
- Silver you wear constantly and nobody comments on: Franco 3,8 mm.
- Maximum metal in minimum width: Franco 4,7 mm.
- A chain that reads as a chain: Cuban 6 mm.
- Presence: Cuban 9,1 mm and above.
- A matching bracelet: Cuban. Franco is necklace-only.
Both are solid 925 sterling silver, made in Italy, stamped 925 and Italy, in 50, 55 and 60 cm. How they compare with the other two styles we offer is covered in our guide to the four silver chain styles, and every width in the range is shown to scale in the chain thickness guide.