Fragrance comparison

Caliber 12 vs Star USA

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

Updated 17 Oct 2026 325 ratings analysed

6 wins

Caliber 12

Jeanne Arthes

3.8336 votes

Rank #24,736 AromaticWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

69%scent match

Closely related

Star USA

John Varvatos

3.43289 votes

Rank #16,408 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Caliber 12 takes 6 of 7 categories.

Caliber 12
Choose it for a aromatic and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring, day or night wear.
Star USA
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Caliber 126/7

Star USA1/7

Ratings & consensus: Caliber 12
Community sentiment: Caliber 12
Longevity: Caliber 12
Sillage & projection: Caliber 12
Value for money: Caliber 12
Versatility: Caliber 12
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Star USA

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Caliber 12Jeanne Arthes

Star USAJohn Varvatos

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.83/ 5 · 36 votes

Have 55%Had 22%Want 22%

3.43/ 5 · 289 votes

Have 56%Had 28%Want 16%

Category winnerCaliber 12Rating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

25%Love

42%Like

25%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

36 votes

12%Love

52%Like

7%Ok

27%Dislike

2%Hate

289 votes

Category winnerCaliber 12Most positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate71

⏱ Longevity47

〰 Sillage47

♥ Love / hate61

Category winners

LongevityCaliber 12

SillageCaliber 12

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value84

¤ Price value58

Category winnerCaliber 12Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

warm spicy83%

woody65%

fresh spicy48%

vanilla30%

woody100%

aromatic88%

warm spicy77%

citrus65%

fresh53%

fresh spicy42%

Scent match69%Closely related · both aromatic, woody and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

GingerLemon

Heart

Juniper BerriesCardamom

Base

Tonka BeanHaitian Vetiver

Top15-30 mins

GingerCitronJuniper Berries

Heart1-2 hrs

Woodsy NotesSpruceCardamomOsmanthus

Base2-4 hrs

VetiverTonka BeanAmber

InformationalShared notesGinger, Juniper Berries, Cardamom and Tonka Bean. Durations are only published for Star USA, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer33

Fall81

Winter48

Day100

Night94

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter27

Day100

Night32

Category winnerCaliber 12Most year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men82

Unisex18

Women0

Men93

Unisex7

Women0

Casual 49%Work 31%Date 11%Party 10%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,736

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews4

Overall rank#16,408

PerfumerRodrigo Flores-Roux

Launched—

Reviews37

Category winnerStar USAHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Caliber 12 by Jeanne Arthes opens with a sharp burst of lemon and raw ginger that immediately wakes up your nostrils. Within twenty minutes, the initial citrus bite softens into an aromatic heart dominated by juniper berries and warm cardamom. The scent sits close to the skin as it settles into a smooth Haitian vetive…

Reviews →

John Varvatos Star USA breaks away from the brand's usual dark leather style, opening with a bright snap of tart citron, fizzy juniper berries, and sharp red ginger. It feels clean right away. After the initial alcohol lift calms down within five minutes, a crisp conifer heart emerges with resinous blue spruce, cracke…

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, Caliber 12 or Star USA?

Caliber 12 takes 6 of 7 categories. Caliber 12 is rated 3.83/5 from 36 votes; Star USA is rated 3.43/5 from 289 votes. Choose Caliber 12 for a aromatic and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring, day or night wear. Choose Star USA for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Caliber 12 or Star USA?

Caliber 12 lasts longest (Caliber 12 62/100, Star USA 47/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Caliber 12 or Star USA?

Caliber 12 projects furthest (Caliber 12 54/100, Star USA 47/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Caliber 12 and Star USA smell similar?

Closely related: a 69% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, woody and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Ginger, Juniper Berries, Cardamom and Tonka Bean.

Is Caliber 12 or Star USA better for summer or winter?

For summer, Caliber 12 is the stronger pick. For winter, Caliber 12 is the stronger pick. Caliber 12 suits day or night wear; Star USA suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Caliber 12 and Star USA?

Caliber 12 has top notes of Ginger and Lemon, heart notes of Juniper Berries and Cardamom, a base of Tonka Bean and Haitian Vetiver. Star USA has top notes of Ginger, Citron and Juniper Berries, heart notes of Woodsy Notes, Spruce, Cardamom and Osmanthus, a base of Vetiver, Tonka Bean and Amber.