CHANEL vintage originals
Are these authentic? That’s probably your first question when buying a pair of vintage Chanel sunglasses. We are proud to say that all of our items are 100% authentic and are vintage originals produced in the 1990s by Chanel. But how can you tell?
With almost 10 years of experience and having seen hundreds of vintage Chanel frames, it has become easy to distinguish vintage from new and authentic from counterfeit. In these 10 years, we’ve always worked with the same suppliers – real experts in vintage luxury goods. This means that every item is checked for authenticity by us and our supplier. Below you’ll find a quick guide on how to authenticate your vintage Chanel pair of sunglasses.
We will focus on Chanel sunglasses that were produced between 1988-1999. The time Chanel eyewear was still produced at a relatively small manufacturer and the production process involved a high amount of manual labor.
CHANEL materials
Acetate: Chanel eyewear produced in the 90s was made of durable and firm acetate. They’re heavier and have a less plastic feel compared to eyewear produced nowadays.
Hardware: Hinges and screws were always made of gold-colored metal, as were the CC logos and the screws on the inside arm. These screws for attaching the CC logos were seen a lot on 90s models.
Before 1992 the metal CC logos were more flat and less precise compared to the logos that were manufactured after 1992 as you can see in the picture. Also the ‘before 1992s’ had no pins in the temple, something that changed after 1992.
CHANEL inscriptions
Stamps: All Chanel frames came with the brand logo printed on the right arm. Somewhere around 1992, the CE quality mark was added on the same arm. There is the ‘made in Italy’ stamp on the left arm, followed by the model number & color code.
1990-1992
A 4-digit model number is followed by a 2-digit color code printed on the left temple.
For example, 0006 10
0006 the 6th model produced by Chanel, 10 refers to the color black.
Chanel used this coding system until late 1992 with model 0027 being the last model using a 4-digit model code.
1992-1999
A 5-digit model number is followed by a 5-digit color code printed on the left temple.
For example, 01452 94305
01452 refers to the model
94305 refers to the color black.
Some successful early models were reintroduced in the mid-90s with a new 5-digit model code.
For example model 0006 is exactly the same model as the 01452.
Model number & color codes:
1987 & 1988
Chanel produced its first sunglasses. The pair had no model number yet and unlike all the later models these were manufactured in France. The year of production was printed on the inside left arm.
1987 & 1988
Chanel produced its first sunglasses. The pair had no model number yet and unlike all the later models these were manufactured in France. The year of production was printed on the inside left arm.
1990-1992
A 4-digit model number followed by a 2-digit color code printed on the left temple.
For example, 0006 10
0006 the 6th model produced by Chanel, 10 refers to the color black.
Chanel used this coding system until late 1992 with model 0027 being the last model using a 4-digit model code.
1992-1999
A 5-digit model number followed by a 5-digit color code printed on the left temple.
For example, 01452 94305
01452 refers to the model
94305 refers to the color black.
Some successful early models were reintroduced in the mid-90s with a new 5-digit model code.
For example model 0006 is exactly the same model as the 01452.
CHANEL cases
When buying Chanel sunglasses at the boutique in the 90s your pair came with either one of the following cases.
1990-1992:
Glossy black carton box with the white Chanel spell-out logo. Inside, the lid was finished with a white satin fabric and the black Chanel Paris logo. The inside bottom was filled with black foam.
1992-1999:
A black oval hard case with the white Chanel spell-out logo. The inside was finished with black soft fabric, again with the white Chanel logo. It came in a black carton outer box with the Chanel logo.
Extra info:
In the 90s, Chanel eyewear didn’t come with an authenticity card. Also, lenses had no brand inscription, later in the Luxottica era, this changed.
