Hello from Thierry Studio.
You may remember our earlier
comparison with an authentic Birkin 25.
At the time, we did not have
Beton with gold hardware in stock,
so we compared a Gris Perle bag with gold hardware instead.
Today, we are repeating the comparison
with Beton and gold hardware,
the same combination as the authentic bag.
Matching the combination makes the comparison more direct,
and much easier for you to follow.
[Proof of authentic purchase]
This authentic Birkin 25 in Beton with gold hardware
was originally purchased from an Hermès boutique.
Original boutique price (USD equivalent): approx. US$11,240.
We paid approximately US$24,600 on the resale market.
Given the considerable cost,
I thought long and hard when planning this post.
But rather than repeatedly telling you our quality is good,
placing our bag beside an authentic example
and showing you how closely they match
is the clearest
way to demonstrate Thierry Studio’s quality.
That is why we decided to go ahead 🙂
If a side-by-side comparison
can help you develop an eye for the details
and build your trust in us, I am willing
to invest tens of thousands of dollars.
To give you confidence,
we searched extensively for a Birkin
with an original boutique invoice and traceable purchase history.
Why does traceable purchase documentation matter?
Bags sold through resale shops
can come with different types of boutique documentation.
Some boutique invoices
often do not include
the bag’s serial number.
As you can see, this is an authentic invoice,
but no serial number is listed.
(Ours has an additional line labeled “Serial no.”)
That is why we put so much effort
into finding an example with complete, verifiable documentation:
we wanted to provide clear, verifiable evidence of authenticity.
<Front view>
Which one is authentic?
Can you tell them apart?
We use the same
Weinheimer Togo leather as Hermès.
There is therefore no difference in color or texture.
Any small variation is the kind
that can occur between individual hides
of the same leather.
<Weinheimer Togo leather: sourcing evidence>
This is Odessa Calf
from the Weinheimer tannery.
The grade is TR (Top Rate),
described as the highest grade.
Hermès refers to
this leather as Togo.
Here is the purchase receipt for the leather
actually used in the Birkin 25 in Beton with gold hardware shown in this comparison.
We placed the leather we sourced
around the authentic bag for a photo,
and you can see how closely they match.
<Side view>
The key feature from the side
is the characteristic folded, dumpling-like shape.
It completes the Birkin’s distinctive silhouette
and expresses the structural beauty
associated with Hermès craftsmanship.
It is an iconic part of the design.
The slightly fuller lower section
creates a natural curve, keeping the bag
from looking too rigid while providing
practical storage space.
That characteristic side profile
matches perfectly too 🙂
<Back view>
From the back,
symmetry and clean lines are the key details.
The careful work of Hermès artisans
creates a balanced arrangement of details,
reinforcing the bag’s refined appearance.
The uncluttered back design
lets the structure of the bag
and the quality of the leather speak for themselves.
<Base>
There are four
protective metal feet on the base.
Their position and color match,
as do the bag’s width and depth.
<Shape when open>
The Birkin’s shape when open
is another part of its appeal.
These two look like mirror images.
——————–
Having seen the overall shape,
were you able to spot a difference?
The authentic bag is on the right.
To show that the serial number on the invoice
matches the blind stamp inside the Birkin,
we filmed the check in a single take.
2023 Birkin 25 in Beton Togo with gold hardware (B stamp)
Serial number: BCTXXXXX
——————–
Now let’s move closer
and examine the details!
<Saddle stitching>
Thierry Studio
Hermès
Isn’t the stitching beautifully precise?
Saddle stitching is a signature technique
used across Hermès products, including its bags,
and is associated with craftsmanship and durability.
An artisan makes each stitch
by hand, so even two bags
made by the same person cannot have
completely identical stitching.
Thierry Studio
Hermès
A pricking iron is used to mark
the stitch holes in the leather, and those holes
can vary slightly from one artisan to another.
As the photos show, the holes on the authentic example
are a little larger. Such tiny differences
are an inevitable feature of handwork,
and should not be treated as a decisive
authentication clue 🙂
Thierry Studio
Hermès
What matters is whether the correct pricking-iron size
was used for each part of the bag,
and whether the holes are evenly spaced
and carefully worked.
If the wrong pricking iron is used,
or the holes are spaced unevenly,
the saddle stitching cannot be precise.
<Handles>
Thierry Studio
Hermès
The Birkin’s handles
have an important detail of their own.
Thierry Studio
Hermès
That detail is their height.
The rear handle is designed
to sit slightly higher than the front one,
for both practical and aesthetic reasons.
The higher rear handle helps the bag sit naturally
when held by hand or carried over the arm.
It also helps the handles sit comfortably
against the wrist or forearm.
<Hardware>
Thierry Studio
Hermès
As you may know, hardware engraving
is one of the hardest details to reproduce.
The font, depth and position of the small rectangular mark
are all extremely fine details. Even a tiny difference
in the first letter can significantly affect
the overall appearance of the engraving.
Let’s look at hardware from other factories.
Hardware from Factory No. 1
Products fitted with this hardware
are sold for around US$750 or more.
Despite that substantial price,
the hardware quality is very poor.
Hardware from Factory No. 2
This factory’s hardware
is among the most widely used on the market.
Depending on the reseller,
bags fitted with it sell for around
approximately US$1,120–2,240. That is a considerable amount.
Reliable information about Hermès is limited,
and many people have few opportunities
to see an authentic bag in person.
We have seen many customers persuaded by sales talk
and disappointed by products using this second type of hardware.
It is upsetting to hear those experiences during consultations.
That is far too much money for a lesson learned the hard way,
so please check the hardware carefully, more than once.
<Edge paint>
Thierry Studio
Hermès
Edge paint can be finished
by air drying or by heat treatment.
Hermès uses the traditional,
craft-focused air-drying method.
It requires repeated coats
and long drying periods,
taking considerably more time and money
than heat treatment. As a result,
it is less commonly used today.
Each coat must dry
before the next is applied. Although slow,
this creates a strong edge finish
that retains its quality over time.
Despite the multiple coats,
the finish must remain very thin.
That is where the skill lies.
The coating should be thin enough
for the leather’s texture to remain visible,
yet fully cover the edge.
Achieving both is genuinely difficult 🙂
<Logo stamp>
Thierry Studio
Hermès
The logo stamp
also shows no noticeable difference.
The stamp should never be applied with excessive pressure.
We have emphasized this many times,
but pressing harder simply to make the logo clearer
can damage that precious leather.
The artisan must use minimal pressure to protect the leather,
while controlling the force delicately enough
to produce a clear logo. This is another stage
where experience and skill are essential.
+
Recently, some customers have asked
whether the logo stamp should react
when illuminated with UV light.
That is incorrect information.
It seems that advice may have come
from another seller. I will soon post
a demonstration using UV light on our authentic Hermès bags
so you can see for yourselves.
<Pontet>
Thierry Studio
Hermès
When closing a Birkin, the sangles
sit over the pontets and engage with the touret,
the turn-lock mechanism, to secure the bag.
The pontets also contribute
to the bag’s overall appearance.
These pontets look identical too, don’t they?
<Lock & clochette>
Thierry Studio is on the left
and Hermès on the right throughout.
Just like the engraving on the sangle plates,
padlock engraving is particularly
difficult to reproduce. To be transparent,
there is a small difference here.
The spacing of the three digits
at the bottom of the lock is slightly different.
Apart from that, the font, lettering size
and engraving depth are all closely matched 🙂
The keys match
in color, engraving and size too!
The clochettes also match
in size, length and the other details 🙂
——————-
Having examined the details thoroughly,
let’s see what customers who received our bags have to say.
Many of Thierry Studio’s customers
already own authentic bags.
If people familiar with the originals
are delighted when ours arrive,
doesn’t that say something about the quality?
At Thierry Studio,
customer satisfaction comes first.
To earn every customer’s trust and satisfaction,
we invest in comparison posts like this
without cutting corners on the cost,
and work harder than anyone to deliver.
It may be only a blog post,
but I hope it has conveyed our sincerity.
That concludes our comparison of the
Birkin 25 in Beton Togo with gold hardware.
Thank you for reading!
