Fragrance comparison

No. III Swim vs Pacific Isles

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 52 ratings analysed

No. III Swim

Gabar

4.3349 votes

Rank #12,790 GreenFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

46%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Pacific Isles

Swiss Arabian

3.333 votes

Rank #57,436 WoodyGreen

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Pacific Isles takes 3 of 4 categories.

No. III Swim
Choose it for a green and fruity character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Pacific Isles
Choose it for a woody and green character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, day or night wear.

No. III Swim1/4

Pacific Isles3/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Pacific Isles
Sillage & projection: Pacific Isles
Value for money: Pacific Isles
Versatility: Not scored
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

No. III SwimGabar

Pacific IslesSwiss Arabian

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.33/ 5 · 49 votes

Have 10%Had 2%Want 87%

3.33/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 36%Had 0%Want 64%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

47%Love

41%Like

10%Ok

2%Dislike

0%Hate

49 votes

0%Love

67%Like

0%Ok

33%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate83

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate58

Category winners

LongevityPacific Isles

SillagePacific Isles

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value54

¤ Price value100

Category winnerPacific IslesBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

green100%

fruity90%

woody80%

aromatic70%

fresh60%

soft spicy50%

woody100%

green92%

aromatic84%

earthy77%

powdery69%

citrus61%

Scent match46%Some overlap · both green, woody and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Currant budsGalbanum

Heart2-4 hrs

FigGreen TeaOrrisJasmine

Base6-8+ hrs

CedarPatchouliMuskAmberTonka Bean

Top

GalbanumHyacinthLemonBergamotIris FlowerTuberose

Heart

AldehydesClovesJasmineOrrisRoseSpicy NotesVioletYlang-Ylang

Base

VetiverAmberMuskOakmossPatchouliSandalwood

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

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring90

Summer100

Fall21

Winter7

Day100

Night35

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men5

Unisex62

Women33

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

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#12,790

PerfumerRuth Mastenbroek

Launched—

Reviews19

Overall rank#57,436

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews2

Category winnerNo. III SwimHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

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 →

Pacific Isles by Swiss Arabian is an aromatic fougere that leans into clean, green freshness. Launched in 2019, it opens with a sharp burst of galbanum and lemon, settling into a floral-spiced heart of jasmine and violet. It performs best during casual daytime wear in warmer spring and summer weather, offering a crisp…

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, No. III Swim or Pacific Isles?

Pacific Isles takes 3 of 4 categories. No. III Swim is rated 4.33/5 from 49 votes; Pacific Isles is rated 3.33/5 from 3 votes. Choose No. III Swim for a green and fruity character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Pacific Isles for a woody and green character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, No. III Swim or Pacific Isles?

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

Which projects more, No. III Swim or Pacific Isles?

Pacific Isles projects furthest (Pacific Isles 63/100, No. III Swim 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do No. III Swim and Pacific Isles smell similar?

Some overlap: a 46% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share green, woody and aromatic accords. Common notes include Galbanum, Orris, Jasmine and Patchouli.

Is No. III Swim or Pacific Isles better for summer or winter?

No. III Swim suits daytime wear; Pacific Isles suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in No. III Swim and Pacific Isles?

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. Pacific Isles has top notes of Galbanum, Hyacinth, Lemon and Bergamot, heart notes of Aldehydes, Cloves, Jasmine and Orris, a base of Vetiver, Amber, Musk and Oakmoss.