Among the more distinctive early menswear designs from Links of London, the 12 Bore Cartridge Cufflinks capture the house’s original talent for turning familiar sporting objects into polished jewellery.
The design recreates the proportions of traditional shotgun cartridges as miniature double-ended cufflinks. Each terminal combines a slim sterling silver body with a broader 18ct gold-plated end cap, while a short oval-link chain joins the two ends across the cuff.
The result is witty without becoming novelty for novelty’s sake: recognisable, beautifully proportioned and still practical as formal menswear.
Vintage cartridge cufflinks with 18ct gold plated ends
A Sporting Object Reworked in Silver
The cufflinks take their visual language directly from a traditional 12 bore cartridge.
The long cylindrical body is rendered in polished sterling silver, while the wider end cap is picked out in contrasting gold plate. That two-tone treatment gives the design an immediately recognisable cartridge profile without attempting to reproduce a functional object.
The reference is clear, but the scale and finish transform it into jewellery.
Links of London two tone cartridge cufflinks front view
Traditional Double-Ended Construction
Each cufflink is formed from two cartridge-shaped terminals connected by an oval-link chain measuring approximately 21mm.
This is a classic double-ended cufflink construction, allowing one cartridge to sit on the visible side of the cuff while the second rests behind it.
The chain provides enough movement for comfortable wear and reinforces the vintage character of the design.
Sterling silver 12 bore cartridge cufflinks by Links of London
Early Links of London Menswear
The 12 Bore Cartridge Cufflinks fit naturally within the early Links of London tradition of characterful cufflinks inspired by sport, leisure and familiar objects.
The house built much of its early identity around clever menswear accessories, and designs like these show why. The object is humorous, but the execution remains refined enough for a double cuff.
That balance between wit and polish became one of the defining qualities of early Links of London cufflink design.
Vintage 1992 Links of London shooting cufflinks
Sterling Silver and Gold Plate
The contrast between silver and gold is central to the design.
The cartridge bodies are sterling silver, while the wider end caps are finished in 18ct gold plate. The gold gives the terminals a warmer visual weight and helps recreate the two-tone appearance associated with traditional cartridges.
On vintage examples, the plated sections can show wear before the sterling silver bodies do, especially around raised edges and surfaces that contact the cuff.
That wear is part of the history of the piece and should be distinguished from damage.
Links of London cartridge cufflinks with gold plated end caps
A Hallmarked 1992 Example
A surviving example is hallmarked LL, 925 with a date letter for 1992.
Its measurements are approximately:
- Cartridge length: 18mm
- Cartridge body diameter: 5mm
- End cap diameter: 8mm
- Connecting chain: 21mm
The 1992 hallmark places that pair very early in the Links of London story and makes the design especially interesting as an example of the house’s original cufflink language.
Sterling silver cufflinks with 8mm gold plated end caps
Vintage Condition and Preservation
A surviving pair has been cleaned and lightly polished rather than aggressively restored.
That approach preserves the surface character of the sterling silver and avoids stripping away too much of the remaining gold-plated finish from the end caps.
Light marks and wear remain visible, which is entirely consistent with a pair of cufflinks that have survived from the early 1990s.
Early 1992 Links of London mens cufflinks
Original Presentation Box
The surviving pair is also accompanied by a vintage Links of London cufflink box.
The box shows age-related wear from storage and handling. Its branded lid insert is fitted upside down and appears to have been glued into place that way when the box was originally assembled.
Because forcing the insert out risks damaging the vintage packaging, it is best preserved as found.
Vintage Links of London cartridge cufflinks with original box
The Design in Context
The Links of London 12 Bore Cartridge Cufflinks are a strong example of the original house turning a very British sporting reference into a wearable menswear accessory.
Their appeal lies in the combination of subject and restraint: a familiar cartridge form, reduced to miniature scale, rendered in sterling silver and gold plate, and finished with traditional chain construction.
They are playful, but still formal.
That is exactly what made early Links of London cufflinks so memorable.
Vintage Links of London 12 Bore Cartridge Cufflinks sterling silver
