Chanel No 5 Perfume

Chanel No. 5 is actually the first (not the fifth) fragrance launched by Parisian couturier Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel. It has been on sale continuously since its introduction in 1921.

It has been described as "the world's most legendary fragrance," and ranks on the top places in the perfumery sales charts. It remains the best-selling fragrance of Parfums Chanel, and the company estimates that a bottle is sold worldwide every 55 seconds.

The scent had been created by the French perfumer Ernest Beaux. Beaux had his first big success in 1912 with the "Bouquet de Napoleon." His "Bouquet de Catherine" was not successful and because the German descent of Catherine the Great was held responsible for that, the scent was renamed "Rallet Nº 1" at the outbreak of World War I in 1914. The name change did not improve the sales due to the difficult economic circumstances at war time, and the October revolution.

At the end of 1919, Beaux, as one of the last former employees of Rallet at Chiris in La Bocca, France which had bought Rallet. To adapt his perfumery formula to the raw materials available there and the price situation then, Beaux continued his work on Rallet Nº 1. This was how the series of adaptation trials originated. Coco Chanel would later chose the vial labeled  "Nº 5" as her first signature scent.




The creation and conception of this exceptional perfume is surrounded by many legends, to which Coco Chanel and Ernest Beaux contributed themselves considerably.

Browse Chanel No. 5 products