When we think about high-quality and luxury accessories, the first brand that comes to our mind is Chanel. The brand was founded in the early 1900s in Paris, and even though it started as a clothing company, it soon started placing accessories on the market that became even more recognizable than the outfits. The first Chanel sunglasses were made in the 1980s, and ever since then, these pieces are known for their quality, durability, and impeccable looks.
Nowadays, vintage pieces are becoming extremely popular, but unfortunately, there are too many counterfeit goods on the market, and no one wants to get scammed and pay hundreds for pieces that are not genuine. The easiest way to spot those dupes is with the serial number, and this begs the question, do vintage Chanel sunglasses have serial numbers? Keep on reading to find the answer!
When were the serial numbers introduced?
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The Chanel boutique exclusive sunglasses are some of the most desired ones, and they also hold the highest value on the market. Since these pieces can be worth a pretty penny, you need to know if you are looking at genuine pieces, or if someone is trying to scam you.
The brand first started a laser engraving their serial codes on the side of the right lense at the beginning of the 2000s, but that does not mean that all the pieces that were made prior to this year were left without any authorization codes at all.
Know that no matter if you are purchasing non-boutique or boutique exclusive pieces, including the iconic Chanel cat-eye sunglasses, you should know that most that were made after the 90s have their coding. Remember that the placing of the number may be different depending on when the pieces were manufactured, so you should have an idea where the code was placed the year when the sunglasses were manufactured so that you are able to find out if the goods you are looking at are counterfeit.
Let’s first start with the oldest pieces that were made in the 80s. The bad news is that most of the accessories made in the decade were not engraved with any coding, since the brand was still starting and there were not too many counterfeit goods. During the decade, as Chanel became widely popular, more and more people were trying to sell fake goods, scam customers, and make illegal money in the process. So, the first serial numbers were introduced in the late 80s.
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When you are looking at pieces that were manufactured at the end of the 80s and in the 90s, like the Chanel sunglasses women, you will see that all of them have fewer than 5-digit codes, and usually, the last digit in the year is going to be implemented in the serial number. For example, if the goods were made in 1993, the code should look something like 0037. Note that this differs, but if you can see a 4-digit code, chances are, you are looking at vintage pieces made in the 90s that are genuine.
If the codes start with zero, and if there are five digits in the number, you can be sure that the pieces were made prior to 2001, and once again, the last digit of the year will be included in the code. As you can see if you click here, the vintage pieces are easily recognizable, and no matter if we are talking about Chanel round sunglasses or any other pieces, you should look for this engraved or printed code.
When you see that the pieces have a 5-digit serial number on them, and it starts with one, these pieces were made in the 2000s, and most of them were produced alongside Luxottica. Finally, pieces that have a 5-digit code that starts with four were made in the late 2000s, and even after 2010.
How to spot vintage fakes?
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Now that you know all about the serial numbers, and since they cannot be found on all the models, especially the ones that are made far back, you need to know how to spot ones that are not genuine.
If you are thinking about ordering or purchasing these accessories, or if you have ones at home that you are not sure are real or fake, then you need to know how to do your research. The first thing you have to do is check for the serial number, and if it is there, and if the digits make sense, then you are good. But what happens if they are not there, and what happens if you cannot read them?
The first thing you need to look at is the temples, and since these glasses are made in Italy, all of the originals will have this mark. You should also look for any other markings, including the CE letters.
One thing that you should always know is that all of the pieces are impeccably made. Starting from the Chanel square sunglasses, up to any other design or model, no matter if it is vintage or made in the last decade, they are all perfectly manufactured. You won’t be able to notice any mistakes, the print or the engraving will always be on point, all the numbers and letters are going to be even, made with the same font, and there won’t be any ill-fitting issues. Even if you cannot find the serial number on pieces that were made at the beginning of the 80s, you can still know if the pieces are genuine by looking at them and holding them in your hands.
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If you can see a code on your pieces, and if you are still not sure if you are looking at real sunglasses, then the best thing you can do is research the code online. Even though you cannot get this verified on their official website, and even though you cannot get that information even if you walk into a store, you can still do your research, check if the digits make sense, and get more information on when the pieces were manufactured.
Always purchase from reliable stores, and know that there are a lot of places that offer genuine vintage Chanel pieces that you can purchase and have in your collection. Do your research prior to making the decision, and know that you should always see what other customers are saying and if anyone has ever noticed an issue with these goods.
