Fragrance comparison

Basic Black vs Watch

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 1,915 ratings analysed

4 wins

Basic Black

Bill Blass

3.86357 votes

Rank #3,732 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

10%scent match

Clearly different

Watch

M. Micallef

3.801,558 votes

Rank #1,667 White FloralTuberose

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Basic Black takes 4 of 7 categories.

Basic Black
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter.
Watch
Choose it for a white floral and tuberose character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Basic Black4/7

Watch3/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Basic BlackBill Blass

WatchM. Micallef

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 357 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

3.80/ 5 · 1,558 votes

Have 61%Had 39%Want 0%

Category winnerBasic BlackRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

37%Love

41%Like

4%Ok

17%Dislike

1%Hate

313 votes

31%Love

44%Like

4%Ok

19%Dislike

2%Hate

1,209 votes

Category winnerBasic BlackMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity83

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityWatch

SillageWatch

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price value52

Category winnerBasic BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

floral77%

powdery69%

aromatic61%

white floral100%

tuberose92%

sweet84%

fruity77%

vanilla69%

yellow floral61%

Scent match10%Clearly different

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

CarnationYlang-YlangPlumCardamomPeachMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

HoneyCorianderRoseTuberoseVioletJasmine

Base

OakmossPatchouliCivetAmberMuskBenzoinSandalwoodStyrax

Top

PeachPlumMandarin Orange

Heart

TuberoseYlang-YlangJasmineNeroli

Base

VanillaWhite Musk

InformationalShared notesYlang-Ylang, Plum, Peach and Mandarin Orange. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring53

Summer34

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring53

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerBasic BlackMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex40

Women58

Men2

Unisex3

Women95

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,732

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Overall rank#1,667

PerfumerJean-Claude Astier

Launched—

Reviews114

Category winnerWatchHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Basic Black by Bill Blass is a spicy, mossy floral chypre with a vintage dressed-up attitude. Reviewers often notice carnation, coriander, oakmoss, musk and honeyed florals, with an opening that can feel sharp, soapy or animalic before it settles. It suits people who enjoy bold 80s and early 90s style perfumes, powder…

Reviews →

Watch by M. Micallef is a rich floral fruity fragrance launched in 2002. This scent centers on a lush combination of sweet peach and plum balanced by a heavy dose of tuberose and jasmine. It is a bold choice for women seeking an intense, long-lasting aroma that performs best in cooler weather or for significant evenin…

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, Basic Black or Watch?

Basic Black takes 4 of 7 categories. Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes; Watch is rated 3.80/5 from 1,558 votes. Choose Basic Black for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter. Choose Watch for a white floral and tuberose character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Basic Black or Watch?

Watch lasts longest (Watch 83/100, Basic Black 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Basic Black or Watch?

Watch projects furthest (Watch 73/100, Basic Black 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Basic Black and Watch smell similar?

Clearly different: a 10% scent match on Fragranxe. They share few main accords. Common notes include Ylang-Ylang, Plum, Peach and Mandarin Orange.

Is Basic Black or Watch better for summer or winter?

For summer, Basic Black is the stronger pick. For winter, Basic Black is the stronger pick. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Basic Black and Watch?

Basic Black has top notes of Carnation, Ylang-Ylang, Plum and Cardamom, heart notes of Honey, Coriander, Rose and Tuberose, a base of Oakmoss, Patchouli, Civet and Amber. Watch has top notes of Peach, Plum and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Tuberose, Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine and Neroli, a base of Vanilla and White Musk.