Fragrance comparison

B-52 vs Nautica

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 950 ratings analysed

B-52

Apple Parfums

3.504 votes

Rank #69,066 AromaticAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

46%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Nautica

3.43946 votes

Rank #7,080 CitrusAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Nautica takes 4 of 4 categories.

B-52
Choose it for a aromatic and amber character. Best in spring, evening wear.
Nautica
Choose it for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.

B-520/4

Nautica4/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

B-52Apple Parfums

NauticaNautica

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.50/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 44%Had 11%Want 44%

3.43/ 5 · 946 votes

Have 58%Had 42%Want 0%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

0%Love

75%Like

0%Ok

25%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

13%Love

55%Like

12%Ok

17%Dislike

2%Hate

908 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity47

〰 Sillage42

♥ Love / hate63

⏱ Longevity48

〰 Sillage44

♥ Love / hate65

Category winners

LongevityNautica

SillageNautica

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value84

Category winnerNauticaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

amber88%

citrus77%

vanilla65%

fresh spicy53%

soft spicy42%

citrus100%

aromatic92%

woody84%

fresh spicy77%

fresh69%

aldehydic61%

Scent match46%Some overlap · both aromatic, citrus and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Bitter OrangeBergamotNeroli

Heart

Clary SageGeraniumHyacinth

Base

Tonka BeanAmberMusk

Top

AldehydesLimeLemonBergamotNeroliCypressTarragonClary Sage

Heart

JasmineCyclamenGeraniumRoseCaraway

Base

SandalwoodMuskCedarOakmossPatchouliAmber

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Neroli, Clary Sage and Geranium. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall100

Winter100

Day67

Night100

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter10

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men60

Unisex40

Women0

Men86

Unisex13

Women1

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#69,066

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#7,080

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews124

Category winnerNauticaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

B-52 by Apple Parfums launches with a sharp splash of bitter orange, bergamot, and neroli. It quickly shifts into herbal clary sage and geranium before grounding into warm tonka bean and amber. Designed as a budget-friendly aromatic fougere for men, it offers a clean, crisp profile suitable for morning commutes and wa…

Reviews →

Nautica by Nautica is a crisp, aromatic woody chypre launched in 1992. It opens with a bright blast of lemon and lime, balanced by herbaceous clary sage and a backbone of cedar and oakmoss. This is a clean, soapy, and unpretentious scent that feels like a crisp white shirt on a hot spring or summer day.

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, B-52 or Nautica?

Nautica takes 4 of 4 categories. B-52 is rated 3.50/5 from 4 votes; Nautica is rated 3.43/5 from 946 votes. Choose B-52 for a aromatic and amber character. Best in spring, evening wear. Choose Nautica for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, B-52 or Nautica?

They last about the same: Nautica 48/100, B-52 47/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, B-52 or Nautica?

Projection is very close: Nautica 44/100, B-52 42/100 for sillage.

Do B-52 and Nautica smell similar?

Some overlap: a 46% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, citrus and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Neroli, Clary Sage and Geranium.

Is B-52 or Nautica better for summer or winter?

B-52 suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in B-52 and Nautica?

B-52 has top notes of Bitter Orange, Bergamot and Neroli, heart notes of Clary Sage, Geranium and Hyacinth, a base of Tonka Bean, Amber and Musk. Nautica has top notes of Aldehydes, Lime, Lemon and Bergamot, heart notes of Jasmine, Cyclamen, Geranium and Rose, a base of Sandalwood, Musk, Cedar and Oakmoss.