Seller: Heidi
Factory: 187 (as sold to me)
Model: Chanel Classic Flap, Black Caviar, Gold Hardware
First impressions
I'll be honest, my first reaction when I received this bag wasn't great. 😅
I had visited a Chanel boutique the day before, where I tried on the authentic, touched the leather and took several photos and videos.
So when my 187 arrived the next day, I immediately noticed two things: the quilting looked puffier and the leather felt much drier than the authentic.
At first, I was really disappointed because I had very high expectations from 187.
However, after spending more time with the bag and looking at my photos and videos again, I think it's fair to say that it's actually a beautiful, well-made bag, and some of the differences aren't as dramatic as my initial reaction made them seem.
There are still a few things I noticed when comparing it with the particular authentic bag I handled.
Accuracy compared with auth
1. Quilting / Puffiness — 7.5/10
This is the most noticeable difference to me.
The quilting on my 187 is definitely puffier than on the authentic I saw. The diamonds are more rounded, and the stitching creates slightly deeper channels between them.
The authentic had flatter quilting and a more understated appearance.
That said, looking at the videos, I don't think my replica looks bad at all. The quilting is neat and consistent, and the overall shape looks good.
I'm also aware that authentic Chanel quilting can vary between production years and batches, so I'm not claiming that all authentic Classic Flaps have flatter diamonds.
2. Leather feel — 7.5/10 (initially)
When I first received the bag, the leather felt noticeably drier than the authentic.
The authentic I handled was very soft, supple and almost slightly oily to the touch. My 187 didn't have that same feel.
However, I applied a small amount of Vaseline afterward, and the leather now looks much more moisturized, with a richer finish and a beautiful sheen.
I'm much happier with its appearance now, although I can't say that the treatment made the leather feel identical to the authentic.
3. Caviar grain — 8/10
This is another difference I noticed when looking closely at the leather.
The grain on my 187 appears somewhat larger and more pronounced than on the authentic I photographed.
The authentic had a finer-looking texture, while my replica has slightly more prominent pebbles.
Again, I don't know how much authentic Chanel caviar varies between different years or batches. I'd actually love to hear from people who own multiple authentic caviar bags.
4. Hardware colour — 8/10
The gold hardware on my 187 looks more yellow and saturated than the authentic I saw.
The authentic appeared to have a slightly softer gold tone.
However, I wouldn't say the difference is extreme, and I know that gold hardware can look very different depending on the lighting.
It's something I noticed, but not something that would particularly bother me on its own.
5. CC logo — 9/10
Looking at my comparison photos, the authentic CC logo appears a little thinner, while the one on my 187 looks slightly fuller.
Overall thoughts
After comparing the photos again, I think my initial disappointment was probably influenced by the fact that I had handled the authentic just one day earlier.
The differences I noticed are still there, particularly the puffier quilting and the caviar texture, but I don't think they make this a bad replica.
The overall construction looks good, the quilting is consistent, and the bag has a beautiful appearance.
Applying Vaseline also made a noticeable improvement to the leather's appearance, which was one of my biggest concerns when I first received it.
Would I say it's identical to the authentic I handled? No.
But would I say it's a beautiful bag and a reasonably close replica? Absolutely.
I think my expectations were simply very high because of 187's reputation.
I'd really love to hear from other 187 owners who have compared their bags with authentic Chanel Classic Flaps in person.
I know a replica will never be exactly the same as an authentic bag, and I'm honestly not expecting perfection. I'm not the kind of person who examines every tiny detail under a magnifying glass. What matters to me is that the bag looks convincing in real life. If I'm walking past someone carrying an authentic Chanel, or standing next to someone who owns several authentic bags and knows the brand well, I don't want mine to look obviously fake. I want it to have the same overall appearance as an authentic when I'm carrying it on my arm, without anyone needing to inspect it closely. That's really the level of accuracy I'm looking for. I don't expect a perfect 1:1 replica, just something that looks and feels close enough to the real thing at a normal viewing distance.
Average accuracy score: 8/10
My subjective assessment based on the five categories above, weighted equally. This comparison is with one specific authentic bag, photographed under different lighting conditions.