Fragrance comparison

1989 vs Upper Class

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 235 ratings analysed

1989

Theodoros Kalotinis

3.55101 votes

Rank #30,267 FruityFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

33%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Upper Class

Royal Crown

3.91134 votes

Rank #13,042 AmberSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Upper Class takes 4 of 7 categories.

1989
Choose it for a fruity and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.
Upper Class
Choose it for a amber and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, evening wear.

19893/7

Upper Class4/7

Ratings & consensus: Upper Class
Community sentiment: Upper Class
Longevity: 1989
Sillage & projection: 1989
Value for money: 1989
Versatility: Upper Class
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Upper Class

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

1989Theodoros Kalotinis

Upper ClassRoyal Crown

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.55/ 5 · 101 votes

Have 40%Had 10%Want 50%

3.91/ 5 · 134 votes

Have 79%Had 21%Want 0%

Category winnerUpper ClassRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

33%Love

25%Like

16%Ok

19%Dislike

8%Hate

101 votes

46%Love

27%Like

10%Ok

7%Dislike

10%Hate

134 votes

Category winnerUpper ClassMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate64

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

Longevity1989

Sillage1989

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value63

¤ Price value20

Category winner1989Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fruity100%

fresh spicy91%

patchouli83%

warm spicy74%

woody65%

amber56%

amber100%

sweet92%

iris84%

powdery77%

fruity69%

woody61%

Scent match33%Clearly different · both fruity, amber and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Black and Pink Pepper

Heart

PlumRaspberry

Base

PatchouliOlibanum

Top20-30 mins

RaspberryLeatherCorianderBlack and Pink Pepper

Heart2-4 hrs

Tuscan IrisOlibanumCedarAgarwood (Oud)

Base8-12 hrs

MyrrhVanilla AbsoluteOakmossAmbergrisLabdanumGray Musk

InformationalShared notesBlack and Pink Pepper, Raspberry and Olibanum. Durations are only published for Upper Class, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring41

Summer11

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer43

Fall0

Winter71

Day61

Night100

Category winnerUpper ClassMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men77

Unisex18

Women5

Men24

Unisex41

Women34

Date 40%Party 26%Work 19%Casual 16%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#30,267

PerfumerTheodoros Kalotinis

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#13,042

PerfumerAntonio Visconti

Launched—

Reviews10

Category winnerUpper ClassHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

1989 opens with a sharp kick of black pepper and pink pepper before dense plum and tart raspberry settle across damp patchouli. Warm olibanum resin grounds the dark fruit, creating a spicy, earthy aroma that suits crisp autumn leather jackets and cold winter night outs.

Reviews →

Royal Crown Upper Class blends juicy, tart raspberry with a remarkably soft leather jacket aroma that skips the harsh smoky bite of typical leather perfumes. A pinch of crushed coriander and pink pepper adds a crisp, sparkling kick upfront before melting into a heart of velvety Tuscan iris, soothing incense, and gentl…

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, 1989 or Upper Class?

Upper Class takes 4 of 7 categories. 1989 is rated 3.55/5 from 101 votes; Upper Class is rated 3.91/5 from 134 votes. Choose 1989 for a fruity and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter. Choose Upper Class for a amber and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, 1989 or Upper Class?

1989 lasts longest (1989 76/100, Upper Class 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, 1989 or Upper Class?

1989 projects furthest (1989 67/100, Upper Class 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do 1989 and Upper Class smell similar?

Clearly different: a 33% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fruity, amber and woody accords. Common notes include Black and Pink Pepper, Raspberry and Olibanum.

Is 1989 or Upper Class better for summer or winter?

For summer, Upper Class is the stronger pick. For winter, 1989 is the stronger pick. Upper Class suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in 1989 and Upper Class?

1989 has top notes of Black and Pink Pepper, heart notes of Plum and Raspberry, a base of Patchouli and Olibanum. Upper Class has top notes of Raspberry, Leather, Coriander and Black and Pink Pepper, heart notes of Tuscan Iris, Olibanum, Cedar and Agarwood (Oud), a base of Myrrh, Vanilla Absolute, Oakmoss and Ambergris.