How to Identify an Authentic Hermès Picotin Bag
Introduced in 2002, the Hermès Picotin bag has become an acclaimed luxury item in the last few years, with an average resale value of 72% and a high preference rating on the Asian resale market. However, its success may be clouded by the counterfeiting industry, which takes advantage of clients and investors, creating scams to sell fake bags.
For this reason, authenticity is an essential aspect of the luxury resale market, and to help you identify an authentic Hermès Picotin bag, we created this guide so that you can get informed and avoid any scams to protect your clients.
Materials
The Hermès Picotin handbags are produced in high-quality leather, commonly on Maurice or Clemence leather, which offers a soft lustrous appearance with a grainy texture. The Picotin bag has been produced in many other types of calfskin and rare quantities in Ostrich and Crocodile leather. The best example is the Picotin Touch, which features handles made of crocodile skin.
The calfskin that composes the Picotin bag is characteristic, so make sure to examine the touch, smell, and weight. This shouldn’t exude a chemical scent or be too light. Natural leather is heavier than most materials, and it has characteristic features.
On the other hand, the interior of the Picotin bag is crafted in soft suede that matches the color applied to the handbag. Except for the base of the interior, which matches the skin and color used on the outside of the Picotin, the base shows clear piping.
Structure
The Picotin handbag has a very peculiar shape that was inspired by the Hermès’ equestrian heritage, resembling the nosebags usually used to feed the horses. The Picotin name comes from a term in French that refers to the measurement unit of horse feed. So this luxury handbag is shaped as a minimalistic open sac with two handles and straps that thread through two buckles to lock the essentials inside. The edges of the Picotin bag are very raw and authentic, with no extra stitching or piping, except for the straps that cross the handbag, which are sewn with the signature saddle stitching method by hand.
The bottom of the Picotin bag is sturdy and has four hardware studs that keep it straight while standing on a surface, and reinforced piping can be seen at its base. This original handbag also offers a lock system by tightening the straps through the buckles and applying a padlock to secure the items inside with a practical weight-down effect, very different from the classic Birkin and Kelly handbags.
Sizes
The Picotin bag comes in three distinctive sizes: PM, MM, and GM. Each feature follows centimeters at the base measured in width: 18, 22, and 26. The smallest Picotin bag is usually the most preferred, and surprisingly it can store a wide amount of essentials inside. The small size can be used for a casual or even formal occasion. The standard or medium Picotin bag is regularly used for day-to-day life, for women that have to store more items or go to an office. While the biggest Picotin bag is a practical and spacious option for traveling.
Hardware
The hardware of the Picotin bag consists of four base studs, a padlock with keys, two square buckles, and a ring fixed to one of the straps. Each piece of hardware is made from high-quality brass plated in precious metals, such as palladium and gold. Authentic Picotin hardware should be shiny, clean and not show any dents or peeling, be aware of fake hardware with unusual colors. It should also be noted that every single piece of hardware on the Picotin should be plated in the same metal. If you see different colors, it is a counterfeit.
One of the most important pieces of hardware is the padlock, which is identical to the ones featured on Birkin and Kelly bags. The padlock has a pattern of lines that resemble an “H” on its surface, and the keys also feature some lines pattern alongside the engraving of the number that identifies them.
At the bottom of the padlock, you must pay attention to two metal engravings: the first one is the name of the brand in the clear font including the French accent mark, under the word “Hermès” you can see the number corresponding to the keys, it should match to the one engraved on the keys. Under the lock you can see a serial number that indicates the batch in which the padlock was made, so many padlocks may have the same number.
Take into consideration that the metal engravings should be crisp, clean, and perfectly symmetrical. If you see sloppy lines or bigger fonts than they should be, then you’re seeing a fake Picotin handbag.
Stamps
Hermès stamps are a crucial point to identify the authenticity of the products. The Hermès handbags feature a date stamp or blind stamp with the year produced alongside serial numbers that identify the workshop and artisans that made the specific handbag.
The Hermès date stamp has varied throughout the years; before 2015 the stamp was represented by a letter in alphabetical order surrounded by a shape, either a circle or a square. But since 2015, the handbags are heat stamped with a letter that represents each year without apparent order and surrounding shapes.
The date stamp on the Picotin handbag is located on one of the straps that cross the bag, specifically a few millimeters under the top of the bag. The stamping should be clear and crisp, and it must contain a main letter that indicates the year of creation and a series of numbers and letters that indicate the workshop and artisans.
To learn the meaning of each letter and the year they represent, check this date stamp guide and learn to identify new blind stamps and vintage ones.
Prints
Hermès prints are a key feature for authenticity since the French brand tends to mark its products with its name to indicate quality, the prints are symbols of approval that indicate that the handbag was perfectly crafted and matches the Hermès standards. In the case of the Picotin bag, there is just one print and it is located exactly at the bottom of the bag, but in the interior.
The print must be perfectly centered and symmetrical, it must follow the characteristics of the Hermès font, with clean and crisp letters in a metallic hue, they must read: “Hermès - Paris - Made in France”. Another crucial thing that you must examine is that the print must match the same color as the hardware throughout the handbag, so if a Picotin has hardware plated in gold, its print should be golden.
The prints on some fake handbags may be too small or too big, with easily erased letters and they may be crooked. Look out for these details!
Packaging
The packaging of Hermès handbags is important to keep them looking their best and revalue over time. When you purchase a Hermès handbag from an unofficial channel, you should always insist on having the box and dust bag. This indicates that the handbag was purchased in an official store at some point and that it was not stolen, either from a store or from a reseller.
An authentic Picotin handbag should come with the classic Hermès orange box, which features a small Hermès logo on the lid. If it is a bag that was produced recently, you can use the UV light test to authenticate the box. It consists of shining a UV light over the lid of the box, and it should show multiple Hermès logos printed on invisible ink.
The dust bag is also an essential element, a Picotin handbag should come with two dust bags, one for the handbag and a small one for the padlock and keys. And although Hermès dust bags have changed through the years, the recent version is made of herringbone toile material in beige color, with a chocolate brown closing cord. Each dust bag also comes with the Hermès logo, perfectly centered, printed in chocolate brown color, and with a double circle surrounding the man, horse, and carriage shown in it.
It should also be noted that the Picotin bag needs to fit perfectly in its box, without leaving too much space or being tight. This shows that the handbag belongs to the size of the box and that it was crafted with precision. Some counterfeiters tend to create boxes that are too big or too small.
Invoice
The invoice is perhaps the most important element to authenticate any Hermès handbag. This official document handed at the Hermès stores contains all the important data to authenticate a handbag, such as the model, size, skin, color, and code to the handbag's blind stamp. Besides, it contains the time, date, and amount that was paid when purchasing the product. The official invoice alongside the payment ticket constitutes a definitive way to make sure that a previously examined bag is genuine.
When purchasing a Picotin handbag from the resale market, make sure to always obtain the invoice and the payment ticket with the handbag, box, and dust bag. These items can all be compared carefully, following the steps in this guide to be 100% sure of the authenticity of the Picotin bag.
We hope we have been of help to clarify your doubts regarding how to identify an authentic Hermès Picotin bag. Now you’re prepared to take the precautions needed when buying from unofficial sources, and you can assist your clients to purchase genuine Picotin handbags.
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