The one rule
A date code, a serial sticker or a "Made in France" stamp is an identifier, not a guarantee. Codes are copied. Stamps are faked. Authentication is never one signal — it's the agreement of many: the leather, the stitching, the hardware, the construction, the smell, the weight, the provenance, and yes, the codes, all telling the same story about the same era and atelier. When they disagree, trust the disagreement.
The categories of signal
Across maisons, the same families of evidence recur. Learn the categories first; the brand-specific detail lives on each model's page.
- Production codes — date codes, serial stickers/holograms, microchips. They encode when and where, which must agree with everything else.
- "Made in" & heat stamps — placement, alignment and country should match the era; crisp, even impressions.
- Hardware — material, finish, weight and engraving evolve year to year. Cross-check the hardware timeline for the maison.
- Leather & construction — grain, edge painting, stitch density and symmetry, lining, interior tags.
- Provenance — receipts, prior ownership, the box and authenticity card (supporting, never decisive on their own).
When to bring in a professional
Community opinion is invaluable for "post more photos / looks right / something's off" — but it is not a substitute for paid authentication on higher-value pieces. Independent services (and brand-side options) exist for exactly that. Vadorna is a reference and discovery layer; we identify and document, we don't certify authenticity.
How Vadorna helps
Each model and variant page documents the measured facts — sizes, leathers, hardware, years, reference details — so you can compare a real example against a sourced record. The hardware timeline tracks how fittings change per maison per year. Discussion threads attach community knowledge to the data. Start from the archive.