A real Hermes Picotin Lock 18 in Clemence leather with Etoupe color has an unlined interior, hand saddle stitching, a blind stamp that reads HERMES PARIS, and a padlock with engraved hardware. Replica versions miss at least one of those points. The number 18 is the base width in centimeters. Hermes lists the Picotin Lock 18 as a handheld bucket bag. Clemence is a heavy, pebbled bull-calf leather that slouches with use.

fake hermes picotin 18 clemence etoupe bag

What the Real Bag Is

  • Size: 18 cm base width. Height sits close to that figure, with about 13 cm of depth. Specs shift by production year.
  • Leather: Clemence, a grained bull-calf skin with a matte finish, irregular pebble, and soft hand. It marks and slouches.
  • Color: Etoupe, Hermes color code 18, a gray-taupe brown. Etoupe bags ship with white contrast stitching.
  • Hardware: gold plated, palladium, or permabrass. A leather tab and a padlock close the bag.
  • Interior: raw leather, no lining. The reverse side of the Clemence hide shows inside.
  • Strap: short leather strap for hand or elbow carry. The 18 is not a shoulder bag for most adults.
  • Retail: about $3,000 to $3,600 in the US in 2025. Hermes raises prices each year.
  • Resale: Etoupe Clemence Picotin 18 lands near or above retail on the secondary market.

Fake Tells

  1. Lining. A real Picotin 18 has no interior lining. Fabric, suede, or synthetic lining points to a fake.
  2. Stitching. Hermes uses a two-needle saddle stitch with a slight slant, about 9 stitches per inch. Machine stitching runs flat and even.
  3. Stamp. The blind stamp reads HERMES PARIS with MADE IN FRANCE. Letters are crisp and shallow. Gold ink that bleeds or flakes is wrong.
  4. Padlock. The lock is heavy, engraved, and turns with a smooth key. Replicas use light cast metal and shallow engraving.
  5. Grain. Clemence pebble varies in size and depth across the hide. Embossed copies repeat one pattern.
  6. Weight. Clemence is dense. A fake in split leather or PU feels light and stiff.
  7. Smell. Vegetable-tanned leather smells like leather. Glue and plastic smells come from factories.
  8. Edge paint. Edges are sealed and even. Replica edges show drips and gaps.

Price and Market

Fake Picotin 18 bags sell from $150 to $900 in the US. Sellers use terms such as mirror quality or 1:1. Etoupe is a popular neutral, so it appears in replica catalogs more often than seasonal colors. Known limits: Hermes does not publish a full spec sheet for each color, and retail prices change by year, so the figures above are estimates.

Hermès Picotin 18 in Clemence Étoupe: A Buyer's Guide to the Real Bag

Before You Buy

  • Ask for photos of the interior, the blind stamp, and the padlock base.
  • Compare stitch count and slant on the strap and the body.
  • Check the date stamp and the craftsman mark. Ask where they sit.
  • Use a paid authentication service for bags above $1,000.
  • Treat a price far below resale as a warning.