Fragrance comparison

Sailing to Byzantium vs Fantastic Man

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 343 ratings analysed

4 wins

Sailing to Byzantium

Alkemia Perfumes

3.9338 votes

Rank #21,185 AromaticWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

Fantastic Man

Byredo

3.86305 votes

Rank #5,445 AromaticWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Sailing to Byzantium takes 4 of 7 categories.

Sailing to Byzantium
Choose it for a aromatic and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, day or night wear.
Fantastic Man
Choose it for a aromatic and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Sailing to Byzantium4/7

Fantastic Man3/7

Ratings & consensus: Fantastic Man
Community sentiment: Fantastic Man
Longevity: Sailing to Byzantium
Sillage & projection: Sailing to Byzantium
Value for money: Sailing to Byzantium
Versatility: Sailing to Byzantium
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Fantastic Man

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Sailing to ByzantiumAlkemia Perfumes

Fantastic ManByredo

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.93/ 5 · 38 votes

Have 35%Had 15%Want 50%

3.86/ 5 · 305 votes

Have 16%Had 8%Want 76%

Category winnerFantastic ManRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

24%Love

45%Like

12%Ok

12%Dislike

6%Hate

33 votes

40%Love

40%Like

2%Ok

11%Dislike

6%Hate

62 votes

Category winnerFantastic ManMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate70

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevitySailing to Byzantium

SillageSailing to Byzantium

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value82

¤ Price value47

Category winnerSailing to ByzantiumBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

warm spicy92%

leather84%

mossy77%

woody69%

amber61%

aromatic100%

warm spicy92%

anis84%

fresh spicy77%

soft spicy69%

woody61%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both aromatic, warm spicy and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

LeatherOakmossInkIvyCardamomIncenseTonka BeanLotusLavenderPaper

No top / heart / base split published

Top

Star AniseBergamotCardamom

Heart

LavenderIncenseGeranium

Base

VetiverOakmossPatchouli

InformationalShared notesOakmoss, Cardamom, Incense and Lavender. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring58

Summer58

Fall100

Winter83

Day100

Night100

Spring100

Summer50

Fall43

Winter43

Day100

Night33

Category winnerSailing to ByzantiumMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men40

Unisex60

Women0

Men20

Unisex60

Women20

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#21,185

PerfumerSharra Lamoureaux

Launched—

Reviews11

Overall rank#5,445

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews65

Category winnerFantastic ManHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Sailing to Byzantium by Alkemia Perfumes is a fragrance for women and men. The nose behind this fragrance is Sharra Lamoureaux.

Reviews →

Fantastic Man by Byredo is a crisp, aromatic fougere that leans into sharp herbal notes. It balances cool star anise and bergamot with a solid base of vetiver and oakmoss. Designed for men who appreciate a clean, assertive scent profile, this fragrance performs best during spring days and outdoor office settings where…

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, Sailing to Byzantium or Fantastic Man?

Sailing to Byzantium takes 4 of 7 categories. Sailing to Byzantium is rated 3.93/5 from 38 votes; Fantastic Man is rated 3.86/5 from 305 votes. Choose Sailing to Byzantium for a aromatic and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, day or night wear. Choose Fantastic Man for a aromatic and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Sailing to Byzantium or Fantastic Man?

They last about the same: Sailing to Byzantium 68/100, Fantastic Man 67/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Sailing to Byzantium or Fantastic Man?

Sailing to Byzantium projects furthest (Sailing to Byzantium 69/100, Fantastic Man 59/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Sailing to Byzantium and Fantastic Man smell similar?

Some overlap: a 45% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, warm spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Oakmoss, Cardamom, Incense and Lavender.

Is Sailing to Byzantium or Fantastic Man better for summer or winter?

For summer, Sailing to Byzantium is the stronger pick. For winter, Sailing to Byzantium is the stronger pick. Sailing to Byzantium suits day or night wear; Fantastic Man suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Sailing to Byzantium and Fantastic Man?

Sailing to Byzantium features Leather, Oakmoss, Ink, Ivy and Cardamom. Fantastic Man has top notes of Star Anise, Bergamot and Cardamom, heart notes of Lavender, Incense and Geranium, a base of Vetiver, Oakmoss and Patchouli.