Fragrance comparison

181 Fathoms by Blue Stratos vs Artisan Black

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 22 Oct 2026 664 ratings analysed

181 Fathoms by Blue Stratos

Key Sun Laboratories

4.002 votes

Rank #52,093 White FloralCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

51%scent match

Some overlap

Artisan Black

John Varvatos

3.95662 votes

Rank #4,094 CitrusWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

181 Fathoms by Blue Stratos
Choose it for a white floral and citrus character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in spring, day or night wear.
Artisan Black
Choose it for a citrus and white floral character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

181 Fathoms by Blue Stratos2/4

Artisan Black2/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: 181 Fathoms by Blue Stratos
Sillage & projection: Artisan Black
Value for money: 181 Fathoms by Blue Stratos
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Artisan Black

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

181 Fathoms by Blue StratosKey Sun Laboratories

Artisan BlackJohn Varvatos

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 20%Had 10%Want 70%

3.95/ 5 · 662 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

50%Love

0%Like

50%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

32%Love

47%Like

5%Ok

15%Dislike

1%Hate

662 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage25

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity55

〰 Sillage52

♥ Love / hate74

Category winners

Longevity181 Fathoms by Blue Stratos

SillageArtisan Black

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value59

Category winner181 Fathoms by Blue StratosBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

citrus90%

woody80%

musky70%

powdery60%

floral50%

citrus100%

white floral88%

woody77%

aromatic65%

fresh spicy53%

leather42%

Scent match51%Some overlap · both citrus, white floral and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top

TangerineNeroli

Heart

Jasmine

Base

White MuskCedar

Top15-30 mins

Blood OrangeTangerineAmalfi LemonWatermelon

Heart2-3 hrs

GingerAfrican Orange FlowerNeroliJasmineCardamomCoriander

Base4-6 hrs

LeatherVetyverWoody NotesWhite AmberKephalisPatchouliWhite MuskOrris Root

InformationalShared notesTangerine, Neroli, Jasmine and White Musk. Durations are only published for Artisan Black, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall50

Winter0

Day100

Night100

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter23

Day100

Night62

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Men88

Unisex5

Women6

Casual 34%Work 30%Date 24%Party 12%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#52,093

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#4,094

PerfumerRodrigo Flores-Roux

Launched—

Reviews98

Category winnerArtisan BlackHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

181 Fathoms by Blue Stratos is an aromatic fragrance for men that centers on a crisp blend of tangerine and neroli. Launched in 2021, this scent offers a clean, soapy profile suitable for daily wear. It balances bright citrus top notes with a grounding heart of jasmine and a lasting base of white musk and cedar, perfe…

Reviews →

John Varvatos Artisan Black takes the sunny, breezy citrus DNA of the original Artisan and casts it in deeper shadows. A sharp splash of blood orange and tangy tangerine greets you first. It smells juicy. Then, bitter lemon and crisp watermelon introduce a sharp aromatic bite. Within twenty minutes, the bright fruit s…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, 181 Fathoms by Blue Stratos or Artisan Black?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. 181 Fathoms by Blue Stratos is rated 4.00/5 from 2 votes; Artisan Black is rated 3.95/5 from 662 votes. Choose 181 Fathoms by Blue Stratos for a white floral and citrus character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in spring, day or night wear. Choose Artisan Black for a citrus and white floral character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, 181 Fathoms by Blue Stratos or Artisan Black?

181 Fathoms by Blue Stratos lasts longest (181 Fathoms by Blue Stratos 60/100, Artisan Black 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, 181 Fathoms by Blue Stratos or Artisan Black?

Artisan Black projects furthest (Artisan Black 52/100, 181 Fathoms by Blue Stratos 25/100), based on community performance votes.

Do 181 Fathoms by Blue Stratos and Artisan Black smell similar?

Some overlap: a 51% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, white floral and woody accords. Common notes include Tangerine, Neroli, Jasmine and White Musk.

Is 181 Fathoms by Blue Stratos or Artisan Black better for summer or winter?

181 Fathoms by Blue Stratos suits day or night wear; Artisan Black suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in 181 Fathoms by Blue Stratos and Artisan Black?

181 Fathoms by Blue Stratos has top notes of Tangerine and Neroli, heart notes of Jasmine, a base of White Musk and Cedar. Artisan Black has top notes of Blood Orange, Tangerine, Amalfi Lemon and Watermelon, heart notes of Ginger, African Orange Flower, Neroli and Jasmine, a base of Leather, Vetyver, Woody Notes and White Amber.