How to recognize GIORGIO ARMANI perfumes and batch codes.

(Note: Giorgio Armani batch-numbers table was a bit complicate to decode, since early Armani perfumes are very rare to find nowadays: so, the list could not be 100% accurate, and some mistake could occur)

ARMANI Perfumes use a batch-code using both numbers and letters, 4 or 5 digits, restarting at the end of the alphabet.
First ARMANI perfumes dated to 1982. Batch-code style during 1982-1994 was a 4-digits one;
since 1995, a 5-digits one.

Are you in a hurry?
You can, as usual, check for Barcode on the box: if the Barcode is missing, it's means = "before 1991"
Otherwise, check for the "long list" of restricted ingredients: if you find it on the box, it means = "after 2004".

But, there are other clues:
Simply check the address on the box. If you read:
"137 rue FG du Saint Honorè, Paris."
it means from 1982 to 1991.
Congratulations! It's a Giorgio Armani vintage perfume, the oldest one!

OLD, early address: "nr. 137 Rue du FG St. Honore" 
(from 1982 until 1991)

During 1992 the address changes slightly, so, if you read:
" 129 rue du FG Saint Honorè, Paris "
it means from 1992 to nearly 1995

NEW address: "nr.129 Rue du FG St. Honore" 
(from 1992 until 1995)

Since the Mid-Nineties address is:
"16 place Vendome, Paris".

Since Mid-Nineties: address is "16, Place Vendome, Paris".

Other clues:
if you read somewhere on the box or bottle the word "COSMAIR":
("distributed by Cosmair", Cosmair was the old name of  L'Oreal USA), it means from 1982 up to 1999.

Until 1999, dist. by COSMAIR

If you read (on box or bottle): "Giorgio Armani Parfums Division Luxury Products LLC", it means after 1999.

Giorgio Armani Parfums Div. Luxury Products LLC"
(since 1999)

If you read somewhere in the box:
"distributed by Helena Rubinstein" (other than COSMAIR),
it's a very early bottle and it means from 1982 until 1988.

So, briefly:
ADDRESSES:
1982 - 1990: Giorgio Armani Parfums,  137 rue du FG St. Honorè
1990- 1995: Giorgio Armani Parfums,  129 rue du FG St. Honorè
since 1995: 16, place Vendome, Paris.

DISTRIBUTION:
1982 - 1999: distributed by COSMAIR
since 1999: Armani Parfums Luxury Product LLC

And now let's go to the:
------------------------------------------------------
BATCH-NUMBERS TABLE
-------------------------------------------------------
Early Address:
"Giorgio Armani Parfums, 137 rue du FG St. Honorè"
dist. "by Cosmair" (and/or "by Helena Rubinstein")
-------------------------------------------------------
UAxx   = 1982
UBxx   = 1983
UCxx   = 1984
UDxx   = 1985
UExx   = 1986
UFxx   = 1987
UGxx   = 1988
UHxx   = 1989
UJxx    = 1990
UKxx   = 1991
------------------------------------------
Here the Bar-code appears;
Here address changes to : " 129 rue du FG St.Honorè "
------------------------------------------
ULxx    = 1992
-------------------------------------------
Here the GreenDot appears on the box.
-------------------------------------------
UMxxx   = 1993 and shifting to a FIVE-digits batch code.
UNxxx   = 1994
----------------------------------------------------------------
here address changes in "16 Place Vendome, Paris"
----------------------------------------------------------------
UPxxx    = 1995
letter Q probably not used
URxxx   =  1996
USxxx    = 1997
UTxxx    =  1998
UUxxx   =  1999
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
A new label: DIVISION LUXURY PRODUCTS LLC (distributor)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
UVxxx   = 2000
UWxxx  = 2001
UXxxx   = 2002
UYxxx   = 2003
UZ        =  probably not used
UAxxx  =  2004
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Here the "long list" of 26 restricted ingredients appears on the box.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
UBxxx  = 2005
UCxxx  = 2006
UDxxx =  2007
38Exxx  = 2008
38Fxxx  = 2009
38Gxxx  = 2010
38Hxxx  = 2011
38Jxxx   = 2012
38Kxxx  = 2013
38Lxxx = 2014
38Mxx = 2015
38Nxx = 2016
38Pxx = 2017
38Rxx = 2018
CHECK PICTURES AT THE END

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TUTORIAL PICTURES

OLD, early address: "nr. 137 Rue du FG St. Honore" 
(from 1982 until 1991)

NEW address: "nr.129 Rue du FG St. Honore" 
(since 1992 up to 1995)

Since 1992: Greendot appears somewhere on the box.

year 1993: shifting from 4 to 5 digits .
Batch code UM123
(courtesy by Jason Newton)

GIO', batch code UP016 = year 1995
address: 16 Place Vendome

Until 2004: SHORT list of ingredients, and...

...after 2004: LONG list of ingredients

Since 1994: address 16, Place Vendome.
UXxxx = year 2002

Before year 2000, dist. by COSMAIR

After 1999:  
Armani Parfums Division Luxury Products LLC

(on back of the bottle) batch UH2A = year 1989

batch UJ6L = year 1990

on left: bottle from Eighties. Address 137 Rue St. Honore (and without Barcode)
on right: bottle from Nineties. Address 129 Rue st. Honorè (and with Barcode)
Both labeled "COSMAIR"

batch number UG1K = year 1988
plus the label "Helena Rubinstein" (used only from 1982 up to1988)

(shifting to 5-digits) First bottle of "Acqua di Giò",
year 1995, batch code UP052

Acqua di Giò, batch UT124 = year 1999

batch UX329 = year 2002

 (after year 2003: restarting numbers by letter "A")
UA148 = year 2004

(from Basenotes) batch UC149 = year 2006 

batch code UC326 = year 2006

batch UD325, year 2007


2007 to 2008: SHIFTING FROM "Uxxxx" TO "38xxxx" 

(from Basenotes) batch 38E = year 2008

(from Basenotes) batch 38F = year 2009

(from Basenotes) batch 38H503 = year 2011

Different boxes and different batch-styles
(Armani Eau pour homme)

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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 )

-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) 

-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..