Hubert de Givenchy, one of the most classy and elegant men in the world, founded his own fashion company in 1952, and "Parfums Givenchy" in 1957. During early years Givenchy perfumes were produced at Balenciaga factories, then, since 1968, produced in its own facilities.
In 1981 Givenchy company entered in "Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin" industrial group, then, in 1986, LVMH acquired the entire VC-P group (and Givenchy, too).
About the batch codes: GIVENCHY perfumes use the traditional numbered code, with or without letters. The first number is the most important and means "the year".
Please note: during the Seventies many perfumes were "blended" in USA and sold under the denomination "Parfums Givenchy, Inc., New York". These U.S.-made perfumes had different batchcodes, and datation could be empirical.
Regarding traditional "Made in France" bottles, batches from 1980 until 2001 sport 4, 5 or 6 numbers and, in some cases, one letter.
Since 1979-1980 all Givenchy boxes sport the EMB code, and since 1990 the traditional barcode.
Since 2002 you will find the traditional 4-digits LVMH code : from 2002 to 2008 , using the first half of alphabet (letters A-M); then since 2008, using the second half (letters N-Z).
However, especially for older, vintage bottles, you should check other clues. I strongly suggest to check tutorial pictures for better understanding.
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CLUES for GIVENCHY Perfumes
(only for "Made in France" bottles):
(First thing to do: you should know the year of launch)
(First thing to do: you should know the year of launch)
EMB code : if you see the EMB code on the box,
it means = after 1978.
BARCODE : if you see the barcode on the box, it means
= after 1990
"BEAUVEX": if you notice -rarely- this word,
it was used in 1993-2002.
ALLERGENS LIST ("long list of ingredients") : if you see it,
it means = after 2005
Need more help? see tutorial pics below
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TUTORIAL PICS
(remember: the first number is the year)
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| The EMB code, used since 1979-1980. Lower box is without EMB code, so you date it roughly around the Seventies |
 |
| Monsieur Givenchy, (without barcode on the box) batch F51474 = year 1985 |
 |
| (without barcode) Batch F60062 = year 1986 |
 |
| WARNING: Xeryus (without barcode) on box F71042, but on bottle 71042 ( letters sometimes are missing ) = year 1987 |
 |
| Eau de Givenchy (no barcode) batch F81821 = year 1988 |
 |
| Givenchy III (no barcode) batch F92565 = year 1989 |
 |
| (from Ebay) Hot Couture (launched in 2000) batch 009090 = year 2000 |
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SINCE 2002
traditional LVMH 4-digits batch code
(2002-2007 : letters A-M)
(2002-2007 : letters A-M)
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SINCE 2008 : 2nd half of Alphabet (letters N-Z)
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....and...
Batch-codes
Year-of-production,
all-you-need-to-know
about vintage perfumes in the following pages:
-GUERLAIN perfumes ( here )
-YVES SAINT LAURENT perfumes ( here )
-CHRISTIAN DIOR perfumes ( here )
-GIORGIO ARMANI Perfumes ( here )
-VAN CLEEF et ARPELS perfumes ( here )
-CHANEL perfumes ( here )
-BVLGARI perfumes ( here )
-HERMES perfumes ( here )
-VERSACE perfumes ( here )
-GIVENCHY perfumes ( here )
-GUY LAROCHE perfumes (here)
-CACHAREL perfumes ( here )
-ROCHAS perfumes (here)
-GUY LAROCHE perfumes (here)
-CACHAREL perfumes ( here )
-ROCHAS perfumes (here)
-JEAN PATOU perfumes (here)
-LANCOME perfumes (here)
-CARON perfumes (here)
-CALVIN KLEIN perfumes (here)
-RALPH LAUREN perfumes (here)
-JEAN PAUL GAULTIER perfumes (here)
-SERGE LUTENS perfumes (here)
-GUCCI perfumes (here)
Plus:
Kouros by Yves Saint Laurent, visual guide (here)
Fahrenheit by Christian Dior, visual guide (here)
Azzaro pour Homme by Azzaro, visual guide (here)
Drakkar Noir by Guy Laroche, visual guide (here)
Opium by Yves Saint Laurent, visual guide (here)
Samsara by Guerlain, visual guide (here)
and others..
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ReplyDeletePlease could you estimate the year for a bottle of Le De Givenchy with a batch number F40092. Thanks
ReplyDeleteHi, it *could* be year 1984. You should check clues on the box if you have it.
DeleteIf there is no barcode, it's 1984,
if there is the barcode, it's 1994.
Please could you estimate the year for a bottle of Givenchy Gentleman with a batch number F20142 and EMB60057C (no barcode). Thanks
ReplyDeleteHi, it could be year 1982.
DeletePlease could you verify the date of a bottle of Ysatis EDT? The box has a barcode and BEAUVEX on the front, and the batch number is 111472. From your list of clues (thank you) I estimate 2001 - am I correct?
ReplyDeleteNice to hear you! The answer is yes! it should be year 2001. The bottle should be black (not purple) and the 4-G Givenchy logo should be in the upper part of the box.
DeleteRegards,
Laura.
Yes, the box matches your description. Thanks for your reply!
DeleteHi, Firstly I have to say I love your blog it's an invaluable resource. I was hoping you could help how to recognize an older bottle of Organza. I'm trying to help a friend locate a bottle it's her favourite perfume. The one she has is the dark juice with batch code 012026, (i think this is from 2000). When did Givenchy make the switch from the red logo at the top of the box to the red logo at the bottom and now currently the gold at the bottom i think. This would be much appreciated!!
ReplyDeleteAnastasia
Hi Anastasia, there are a lot of difficulties dating a bottle simply looking at he box, because old boxes could be used for years and years (until end of old stocks) alongside with the new ones. So, It's preferable to check the batch code. In your case 012026 means correctly year 2000.
DeleteThanks for taking the time to respond Andre, much appreciated! Good point about the boxes, never thought of that.
DeleteAnastasia
1K02. Please 🙏🏻
ReplyDeletehi 1K02 means year 2021. but there is a very remote chance it could means "2001", you have to check other clues on the box. Enzo
DeleteHello! I have a Monsieur de Givenchy with the number F9 1198 printed on a label that is attached to the inside of the lid of the box. It also says « En cas de réclamation prière d’adresser cette vignette et le produit défectueux à parfums Givenchy S A - 7 avenue Montaigne 60007 Beauvais. ».
ReplyDeleteCan you tell me how old it is?
Hi, it could be "1979" or "1989", in both cases, you own a truly vintage "Monsieur". Congrats! Enzo
DeleteHi! Thanks so much for maintaining such an informative site! I just got a skyscraper-style Ysatis (with the gold cap), lot # printed on the bottle 102748 (no box). Would you be able to say what year this might be from? Thanks in advance!
ReplyDeleteHi, the indication is too general to be able to answer, but assuming the perfume is authentic, the year could be 1991 or at the latest 2001. Unfortunately, to correctly date a perfume, more clues are needed. Greetings, Laura
DeleteHi! Could someone please tell me the age of this L’INTERDIT Eau De Parfum Rouge Ultime sample 10ml? It has a barcode, on side of box embedded 3E01 on side of box and ref P569383 and on bottle LVMH FB -92300 thanks in advance!???
ReplyDeleteHi, l'Interdit Rouge Ultime was released in 2023, so it is not properly a "vintage". 3E01 means year 2023.
DeleteI have a xeryus tester with just numbers...6538.
ReplyDeleteHi, assuming 6538 is batch code and not a reference number: if it's a modern bottle , then these numbers makes no sense. But if it's a vintage bottle, it *could* be year 1986 or 1996. Greetings, Enzo
DeleteHi, I recently inherited a vintage Givenchy Gentleman bottle, with the silver non-wrap around label. The bottom says "Parfums Givenchy - Paris." Code is 7N01. Can you help me date its eera? See photos here: https://imgur.com/a/fZPYUst
ReplyDeleteHi, since Gentleman by Givenchy is a heavily counterfeited fragrance, the first thing to check is whether it's authentic. Unfortunately, the fakes have become so sophisticated these days that it's no longer possible to tell if a bottle is real or fake just by looking at photos, you really need to have the bottle or the box in hand. That said, according to LVMH’s batch code system, the code 7N01 corresponds to 2017.
DeleteHope this helps!
Hi, I’ve been looking at listings for Fleur d’Interdit which has a very distinctive and beautiful embossed glass bottle. But some listings have been coming up in much plainer glass bottles and I’m not sure if they’re counterfeit or something like tester bottles. One seller sent me a batch code I looked online for - 3HO1 - comes up as 2023 which is not possible but the number recycling thing could mean it was 2003… if it’s real. I can’t seem to find any definite reference to tester or export bottles in this shape (it’s a lot more boring than the beautiful mainstream bottle) but people selling it have excellent reviews for trustworthiness et cetera. I’m really confused and have not yet given into temptation to just buy one to see if it smells right. Do you have any thoughts?
ReplyDeleteHi, sorry for the delay in replying. Yes, there were two different editions of Fleurs d’Interdit: one from around 1994 to 2002, and another from 2003 onward. After 2003, the bottle was no longer the "embossed" one, but rather a style similar to that of Givenchy Gentleman, with a square label reading “Fleurs d’Interdit.” I can’t say whether the fragrance remained the same or was reformulated, as I have only owned the original 1990s version. I hope this helps. Regards, RotLS
DeleteHello there... i got a Givenchy gentleman edt, it has a silver sticker but not wrapped around... black collar but silver sprayer! Batch code 4Z01
ReplyDeleteIt says 2024, i doubt that... probably 2014 or 2004?
Can u tell me which years was the silver sticker , black collar and silver sprayer??
Thank you
Hi Johnny, let's start with the batch code: 4Z01 means "2014, December". Aside from that, the issue today is the perfume's authenticity. Unfortunately, it's no longer possible to tell if a perfume is real or fake just by looking at the batch code or photos, I hope yours is authentic. In any case: "4Z01" means 2014. Regards, RotLS
Delete