Fahrenheit: a visual guide (1988-2015)

FAHRENHEIT by Christian Dior is one of the top-selling perfumes in history, and you can find thousands of pages and articles about it.

In this short essay, the main goal is to summarize the different boxes and bottles produced "year-by-year" since its launch in 1988.
No opinion about "reformulations" will be provided: here you will find a sort of "Exposition".


(Please note: "change in packaging" doesn't always mean "change in formula". You will decide -by smelling- what's best for you. But be careful: Christian Dior's scents are among the most counterfeited ever. Finding authenti bottles is often an hard task. Buy such perfumes only from trusted sellers.
To understand the year of production using the batchcode, see HERE.
To read a personal opinion about Fahrenheit "reformulations" through years using a blind-test, see HERE)

Fahrenheit: 
l'Homme infiniment.
Fahrenheit:

what never ends, begins here.

(taglines)


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The First

Production: 1988-2002

Address: "30, Avenue Hoche" (1988-1991); then "33, Avenue Hoche" (since 1991)

Barcode: no EAN barcode  (1988-1990). EAN barcode printed on the box, since 1990.

Greendot: No Greendot until 1992. Classic Greendot since 1992, printed on cellophane wrap (1992-1996), then printed directly on box since 1997

Batch-codes: 5/6-digits batchcode printed on the cellophane wrap (1988-1996); then 5/6-digits batchcode printed on the box (1997-1998); finally 4-digits-only batchcode printed on the box (since 1998)

Ingredients: no ingredients printed on the box (1988-1996). Short ingredients list (i.e "Alcohol-Perfume-Water") since 1997. 
Alcohol % vol.: (88% EdT or 70% Aftershave) reported on the label applied on bottom of the bottle (1988-1996), then missing. 

The Second

Production: 2002-2005

(Key Notes:  completely new box without the "Red Planet"
+ word "Dior" written in red on the upper part of the box ; 
+ short "ingredients list".
On the bottle: batch code written using a black ink, instead of a silver one).

The Third

Production : 2005-2006

(Keynotes: on the box, word "Dior" written in silver, set in the lower part of the box + "Eau de Toilette" line set immediately under the word "Fahrenheit" + long "ingredient" list.
On the bottle: "Eau de Toilette" line is as large as "Fahrenheit" one.

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

WARNING

Second and Third type could have been mixed 

(box and bottle) during years 2005 and 2006

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The Fourth

Production: 2007-2014
(Keynotes: on the bottle, different cap + word "Dior" instead of "Christian Dior Paris" + removing of "Eau de Toilette" line.
On the box: line "Eau de Toilette" written in red, set in the middle)

The Fifth

Production: end of 2014 - ongoing

(Keynotes: change of box + change of Christian Dior's "CD" logo)

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FAHRENHEIT at a glance
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The "Red/Burning Planet" on the box: from 1988 until 2002
The "rounded", curvy cap: from 1988 until end of 2006
The logo on the bottle: "Christian Dior" from 1988 until 2005 (then simply "Dior")
The logo on the box: "Christian Dior" from 1988 until 2002 (then simply "Dior")
The "Eau de Toilette" label on the bottle: narrow (1988-2005); large (2005-2006); missing at all (since 2007)



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FAHRENHEIT 
Year-by-year
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1988

from Sims1974, Basenotes

Fahrenheit, batch 8R260 printed on the cellophane wrap = year 1988
(old address "30 Avenue Hoche").
There aren't any Barcode / Greendot / Ingredients

From Zezzy, Basenotes
batch 8Y532 = year 1988
(note the old address "30, Avenue Hoche")

-----------------------------------
A MAGNIFICENT YEAR 1988 BOTTLE from MIHAILS
(note the word "Atomiseur" instead of "Vaporisateur", 
and the weight in "grams")

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1989

Batch 9843N = year 1989

Batch 9808M = year 1989
note the old address "30, Avenue Hoche"

(from Paul Kiler,  http://pkperfumes.com/ )
batch 913C + old address = year 1989

(thanks to Thiago Martini)
batch 9798M = year 1989

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1991

(pic from Mariusz, Poland)
Batch 1H213 = year 1991

Unusual box labelled "Madrid", batch code F1848G
(thanks to Monsieur Montana, Basenotes.net )

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1993

Batch 3608N = year 1993 (EdT 200ml )

(note the new address "33, avenue Hoche")

30 ml bottle EdT
batch 3546M = year 1993

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FAHRENHEIT  "LIMITED EDITION"
 YEAR 1993
(thanks to "Monsieur Montana", from Basenotes)

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1994

from Jason Newton, www.uneasynostalgia.com
batch 4417U = year 1994
both numbers and greendot printed on the cellophane wrap

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1995

batch 5N117 (50 ml aftershave)
 and 5N105 (100ml Edt) = year 1995

From Jason Newton, www.uneasynostalgia.com 
batch 5K716 = year 1995

Batch 5N103 = year 1995
Batchcode and Greendot printed on the cellophane wrap.

From Jason Newton , www.uneasynostalgia.com
Year 1995 box, without cellophane wrap;
 Apparently there are no clues: batchcode
and greendot were printed on the cellophane.

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1996

Batch 6W183 = year 1996

Batchcode and Greendot printed on the cellophane

From Aphexacid, Basenotes.net
batch 6S826 = year 1996
(last year you can see the Alc.88% vol. reported on the label)

batch 6V285 = year 1996

Until year 1996, there were no ingredients 
or "description" written on the box

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Since year 1997: 
Batchcode and Greendot printed directly on the box. 
+ ingredients listed on the box. Removing of the alc.% vol.
(70% or 88%) label on bottles 50, 100, 200 ml.  

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1997

 batch 7473J = year 1997 
(Batchcode and Greendot printed directly on the box)

RARE 30 ml bottle year1997,
courtesy by Adison Oliveira.

During year 1997, ingredients finally

appear on the box

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Since 1998: 4-digits batchcodes
(1998-2007: letters within the first half of alphabet, "A-to-M")
(since 2008: letters within the second-half of the alphabet, "N-to-Z")

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1998

from RipJean, Basenotes.net
batch 8Gxx = year 1998

From LornaMay, Basenotes.net
batch 8D02 = year 1998

from RipJean, Basenotes.net
Year 1998 box, with ingredients on the side.

8H01 = year 1998

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1999

(From Ro.Ro, Basenotes)
9M01 = year 1999

Batch 9G01 = year 1999

AfterShave Box, year 1999

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2000

batch 0L01 = Year 2000

from 61824, Basenotes.
batch 0F02= year 2000

AfterShave boxes labelled 1M01 and 0M02, both sides.
= Years 2001 and 2000, respectively
(thanks to Catia)

From Jason Newton , www.uneasynostalgia.com
batch 0G02 = year 2000.

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2001

from Nfn1983, Basenotes
1J01 = year 2001

(from PaulP, Basenotes)
1K01 = year 2001

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During year 2002 a whole new packaging appear:
it's the "Second type".
The red word "Dior" in the upper part of the box.
 Bottle is similar to the previous one.
Batchcode on bottle written with black ink 


Second-type box and bottle

 
check the red word "Dior" in the upper part of the box.

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2002

Batch 2G01 unusually print on the side of the bottle
= year 2002 (thanks to Kenneth Edward)

Bottle without the batchcode on the bottom;
check the border of the bottle for it.
(from Kenneth Edward)

Batch 2G01 (year 2002) bottle
You can see the batch printed immediately 
under the word "Christian"

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2004

Second Type box, Batch 4L01 = Year 2004

(note the short ingredients list "alcohol-fragrance-water", 

it was used until 2005 )

Second Type box and bottle, 
Batch 4L01 = year 2004, november

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SINCE 2005
Long list of ingredients ("...limonene, linalool, coumarin....")
printed on the box. 
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2005

during early 2005....

(from szafa.pl) Batch 5E02, 
(still the "Second Type" bottle , with the narrow line "eau de toilette")

since approx. half of 2005

New box and bottle ("Third type"), used for just a couple of years. The best way to recognize it is to check the line "Eau de Toilette" on the bottle, as large as the word "Fahrenheit".

new box and bottle (Third type, 2005-2006)
with the larger line "Eau de Toilette" on the bottle

Batch 5F06, Third Type, (thanks to Roberto Greco)

(note the line "Eau de Toilette" as large as "Fahrenheit")

batch 5F06 = year 2005

(from "Kwachu", Poland)
batch 5K02 = year 2005

Batch 5G02 = year 2005
(note, for the first time, the long list of  "ingredients" on the box)

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2006

"Third type" bottle,
batch 6F02 = year 2006

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Year 2007: another new packaging.
New box and new bottle ("Fourth type", 2007-to-2014).
Bottles sport the word "DIOR" 
instead of  "Christian Dior Paris" 
+ a different cap 
+ the line "Eau de Toilette" removed from the bottle.

New box ("Fourth type", 2007-2014)


New Bottle ("Fourth type", 2007-2014)

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2007

Batch 7H02 = year 2007 (30ml EdT)

batch 7A01 = year 2007 
(200 ml edT, still debated if this bottle is real or fake)

batch 7A01=year 2007

"Fourth type" bottle and box during end of 2007

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-WARNING-
during these years, we can see a sort of
mixing boxes with different bottles, 
 and different labels and caps....
Be careful with unusual combinations.

Unusual combination  "box-bottle-cap-labels"

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2008

(since 2008: batchcode using letters N-to-Z)

Lateral Sides of a 2008 box, without any indication

Rear of the box, year 2008 
(it will be without any "description", until 2011)

 Bottom of the box
batch 8N03 = year 2008, January

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2009

Batch 9X02 = year 2009 (200ml EdT)

batch 9X02 = year 2009

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WARNING

during 2009-2014, if you read "Eau de Toilette Intense", 

it's "Fahrenhetit Absolute", not the classic fragrance.

(see "Fahrenheit Flankers" below)

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2010

Batch 0Q01 = year 2010

batch 0Z02 = year 2010, december


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since 2011: "description" on the back of the box.
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2011

Batch 1Z01 = year 2011, december (100ml EdT)

( from Gid, Basenotes )
batch 1X01 = year 2011

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WARNING
if you read on the label "125ml, 4.2fl.Oz" 
instead of "100ml, 3.4fl.Oz", 
it's "Aqua Fahrenheit", a flanker launched in 2011

Aqua Fahrenheit, launched in 2011

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2012

Batch 2R01 = year 2012 (100ml EdT)

Batch 2U03 = year 2012

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2013

Batch 3T02 = year 2013 (100ml EdT)

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2014


------------------------------------------------------------------
End of year 2014: 
new packaging.

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

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FAHRENHEIT FLANKERS

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

year 2002: Fahrenheit Summer

(limited edition, discontinued)

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year 2003:  Fahrenheit 0 Degree

(discontinued in 2014)

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Year 2006: Fahrenheit Summer 

(limited edition, discontinued)

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

Year 2007: Fahrenheit 32

(currently in production)

and: Fahrenheit Summer 2007

(limited edition, discontinued)

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Year 2009: Fahrenheit Absolute

(discontinued in 2014)

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Year 2011 : Aqua Fahrenheit
(currently in production)

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Year 2014: Fahrenheit le Parfum
(currently in production)

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Fakes?
Dior are among of the most counterfeited perfumes in the world.
Fahrenheit is no exception. This vintage bottle with an unusual barcode was signalled as a fake one.
"....a thing that caught my eye: the mysterious bottle with unusual batch-code (20.011) is a fake. I received one exactly like this from eBay a few years ago...".

-------------------------------
The Fragrance Formula
one of the easiest way to understand if a "reformulation" occurred, is to check the "fragrance formula" written on the box. When the number changes, the formulation (ingredients and concentration) changes, also. However, remember that a change in the number does not mean automatically a change in smelling. 

Year 2015: EdT formula 09588/A

year 2015: Aqua Fahrenheit, formula 08956/A