I remember that in the late '60s and early '70s, the Speidel Company heavily marketed silver bracelets on which you’d have your name engraved, or perhaps an expression of endearment if it was going to be a gift. I had always assumed that these bracelets had first come in around that time, as part of the greater freedom men were beginning to have regarding such things as hair length and the wearing of jewelry.
But I was surprised to notice an ID bracelet of the same type in a scene from The Caine Mutiny, which was made in the early 1950s and set during WWII. And it was definitely that type of bracelet…heavy silver links and a long rectangular piece for the name. It wasn’t a military or dog-tag type of bracelet.
So, when did those come into vogue?