Fragrance comparison

Arabian Wood vs No. III Swim

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 714 ratings analysed

Arabian Wood

Tom Ford

4.11665 votes

Rank #25,301 WoodyWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

21%scent match

Clearly different

5 wins

No. III Swim

Gabar

4.3349 votes

Rank #12,790 GreenFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No. III Swim takes 5 of 7 categories.

Arabian Wood
Choose it for a woody and white floral character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
No. III Swim
Choose it for a green and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Arabian Wood2/7

No. III Swim5/7

Ratings & consensus: No. III Swim
Community sentiment: No. III Swim
Longevity: Arabian Wood
Sillage & projection: Arabian Wood
Value for money: No. III Swim
Versatility: No. III Swim
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: No. III Swim

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Arabian WoodTom Ford

No. III SwimGabar

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.11/ 5 · 665 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

4.33/ 5 · 49 votes

Have 10%Had 2%Want 87%

Category winnerNo. III SwimRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

40%Love

45%Like

3%Ok

12%Dislike

1%Hate

665 votes

47%Love

41%Like

10%Ok

2%Dislike

0%Hate

49 votes

Category winnerNo. III SwimMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate83

Category winners

LongevityArabian Wood

SillageArabian Wood

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value33

¤ Price value54

Category winnerNo. III SwimBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

white floral92%

floral84%

mossy77%

rose69%

earthy61%

green100%

fruity90%

woody80%

aromatic70%

fresh60%

soft spicy50%

Scent match21%Clearly different · both woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

Woodsy NotesOakmossBulgarian RoseMay RoseGalbanumLavenderPatchouliHoneyJasmineCedarGardeniaBergamot

No top / heart / base split published

Top15-30 mins

Currant budsGalbanum

Heart2-4 hrs

FigGreen TeaOrrisJasmine

Base6-8+ hrs

CedarPatchouliMuskAmberTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesGalbanum, Patchouli, Jasmine and Cedar. Durations are only published for No. III Swim, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring70

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring90

Summer100

Fall21

Winter7

Day100

Night35

Category winnerNo. III SwimMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men38

Unisex49

Women13

Men5

Unisex62

Women33

Casual 42%Work 31%Date 19%Party 8%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#25,301

PerfumerRodrigo Flores-Roux

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#12,790

PerfumerRuth Mastenbroek

Launched—

Reviews19

Category winnerNo. III SwimHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Arabian Wood opens with a bright burst of bergamot and gardenia before settling into a deep, mossy green expanse. While the name suggests a dry oud, this bottle delivers a classic green chypre reminiscent of mid-century French perfumery. As it warms on the skin, the sharpness of galbanum gives way to a damp, soil-like…

Reviews →

Gabar No. III Swim captures the crisp sensation of jumping into cold river water on a warm afternoon. It opens with a piercing snap of crushed galbanum resin and tart currant buds. The greenness bites hard. Within fifteen minutes, the sharpness yields to a lush, unsweetened wild fig note wrapped in earthy green tea le…

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, Arabian Wood or No. III Swim?

No. III Swim takes 5 of 7 categories. Arabian Wood is rated 4.11/5 from 665 votes; No. III Swim is rated 4.33/5 from 49 votes. Choose Arabian Wood for a woody and white floral character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter. Choose No. III Swim for a green and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Arabian Wood or No. III Swim?

They last about the same: Arabian Wood 70/100, No. III Swim 69/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Arabian Wood or No. III Swim?

Arabian Wood projects furthest (Arabian Wood 65/100, No. III Swim 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Arabian Wood and No. III Swim smell similar?

Clearly different: a 21% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Galbanum, Patchouli, Jasmine and Cedar.

Is Arabian Wood or No. III Swim better for summer or winter?

For summer, No. III Swim is the stronger pick. For winter, Arabian Wood is the stronger pick. No. III Swim suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Arabian Wood and No. III Swim?

Arabian Wood features Woodsy Notes, Oakmoss, Bulgarian Rose, May Rose and Galbanum. No. III Swim has top notes of Currant buds and Galbanum, heart notes of Fig, Green Tea, Orris and Jasmine, a base of Cedar, Patchouli, Musk and Amber.