Pocket watch chains

[EagleJCS]

I believe that buttonhole on jacket lapels were originally for pocket watch chains.

I think the buttonhole of jacket lapels were actually for buttons that would be hidden under the opposite lapel when the jacket was worn open, but could be buttoned when the lapels were flipped up for wet/cold weather. I used to have a military-issue trench coat that actually had a button on the right shoulder under a button flap. When the left lapel was flipped up to cover the chest, it could be buttoned to the right shoulder and the button flap then attached to a small button sewn to the underside of the left lapel.

I'll see if I can find an image of this online. Edit: Found one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/US-Army-Quar...-/272621539569
(tried posting the image, but it was too small to see the details, so here's the ebay listing).

In response to the OP, I don't have a t-bar for my pocket watch, it has a belt clip at the end of the chain. If I did, I think I would also want to keep it on the inside of my waistcoat unless it were also decorative.