The Wassily Chair (Breuer B3): Knoll vs Reissue vs Dupe
The first tubular-steel chair, 1925. Telling a real Knoll Wassily — tube, leather, marking — from the copies.
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From the original to the dupe, verified direct links.
All about Fauteuil Wassily B3 →“wassily replica”, “poltrona wassily imitazione”: Marcel Breuer's B3 is a Bauhaus grail, and a perennial target for copies. Here is how to tell them apart.
The original
Designed by Marcel Breuer in 1925 at the Bauhaus, inspired by a bicycle handlebar: the first chair in bent tubular steel, strapped in leather (or canvas in the early versions). Produced today by Knoll.
Spotting a real one
Thick steel tube, deep chrome, invisible welds; thick, taut saddle leather; a Knoll marking. The dupes have a thinner tube, a bluish chrome, and a thin leather or imitation that slackens over time.
Vintage Gavina
Before Knoll, the B3 was produced by Gavina (in the 1960s). A documented vintage Wassily is often worth more than a new one.
Spotted one somewhere? Scan it on Beyit: Knoll, vintage or copy.
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Every piece mentioned, with its alternatives — from vintage to dupe.
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