Fragrance comparison

Version Black vs Est. 1962 Man

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 46 ratings analysed

4 wins

Version Black

Ulric de Varens

3.9537 votes

Rank #18,062 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

59%scent match

Closely related

Est. 1962 Man

Tom Tailor

3.449 votes

Rank #62,028 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Version Black takes 4 of 4 categories.

Version Black
Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Est. 1962 Man
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Version Black4/4

Est. 1962 Man0/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Version BlackUlric de Varens

Est. 1962 ManTom Tailor

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.95/ 5 · 37 votes

Have 59%Had 15%Want 26%

3.44/ 5 · 9 votes

Have 29%Had 21%Want 50%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

19%Love

65%Like

8%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

37 votes

11%Love

44%Like

22%Ok

22%Dislike

0%Hate

9 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity55

〰 Sillage52

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity33

〰 Sillage33

♥ Love / hate61

Category winners

LongevityVersion Black

SillageVersion Black

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value93

¤ Price value25

Category winnerVersion BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

woody92%

warm spicy84%

aromatic77%

lavender69%

floral61%

aromatic100%

woody92%

citrus84%

fresh spicy77%

powdery69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match59%Closely related · both citrus, woody and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

CitrusesCardamomMandarin OrangePineappleNutmeg

Heart2-3 hrs

LavenderFreesiaViolet

Base4-6 hrs

MuskWoody NotesTonka BeanPalisander Rosewood

Top

LavenderLemonBergamotMandarin OrangeNutmegCardamom

Heart

VioletGeranium

Base

AmberMuskMossSandalwoodCedarVetiverTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesCardamom, Mandarin Orange, Nutmeg and Lavender. Durations are only published for Version Black, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall42

Winter17

Day100

Night32

Spring100

Summer100

Fall50

Winter50

Day100

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men81

Unisex15

Women4

Casual 47%Work 32%Date 12%Party 9%

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#18,062

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews9

Overall rank#62,028

PerfumerChristian Plesch

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerVersion BlackHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Do not let the dark name fool you. Version Black by Ulric de Varens is not a heavy, brooding night scent. Instead, it bursts open with a bright blast of mandarin orange, tart pineapple, and fresh cardamom. The initial alcohol lift settles quickly on skin, revealing a clean heart of French lavender, delicate violet, an…

Reviews →

Tom Tailor Est. 1962 Man opens with a sharp burst of lemon and mandarin orange, immediately backed by the herbal clean of lavender. As the fragrance settles, a cooler violet leaf texture emerges alongside nutmeg, shifting the scent from a bright citrus splash to a dry, aromatic woody profile. It sits close to the skin…

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, Version Black or Est. 1962 Man?

Version Black takes 4 of 4 categories. Version Black is rated 3.95/5 from 37 votes; Est. 1962 Man is rated 3.44/5 from 9 votes. Choose Version Black for a citrus and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Est. 1962 Man for a aromatic and woody character. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Version Black or Est. 1962 Man?

Version Black lasts longest (Version Black 55/100, Est. 1962 Man 33/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Version Black or Est. 1962 Man?

Version Black projects furthest (Version Black 52/100, Est. 1962 Man 33/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Version Black and Est. 1962 Man smell similar?

Closely related: a 59% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, woody and aromatic accords. Common notes include Cardamom, Mandarin Orange, Nutmeg and Lavender.

Is Version Black or Est. 1962 Man better for summer or winter?

Version Black suits daytime wear; Est. 1962 Man suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Version Black and Est. 1962 Man?

Version Black has top notes of Citruses, Cardamom, Mandarin Orange and Pineapple, heart notes of Lavender, Freesia and Violet, a base of Musk, Woody Notes, Tonka Bean and Palisander Rosewood. Est. 1962 Man has top notes of Lavender, Lemon, Bergamot and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Violet and Geranium, a base of Amber, Musk, Moss and Sandalwood.