Basenotes › Directory › Fragrances › Cravache by Robert Piguet, 1963

Cravache by Robert Piguet, 1963

Cravache by Robert Piguet, 1963 + add a photo
12 reviews
83% Positive Reviews
Rated #2627 in Fragrances
Write a Review

Member Reviews

Posted
By odysseusm
This is a review of the vintage version. It certainly has an old-school aura: a hard-to-describe character that is like a movie with a scene shot in soft focus. Everything is soft, smooth, genteel; and definitely of another era. The citrus notes are essentially non-existent -- perhaps to be expected in vintage juice. The spices are well done and give a pleasant warmth. The herbs (clary sage and lavender) are dusky and aromatic. The dry-down first presents grassy vetiver (very pleasant) and woody-earthy patchouli (thankfully restrained). Well made, attractive, not ground-breaking but very competant and wears well. If the citrus had been lively this would have been an excellent scent -- as I'm sure it was in the day.
Post Comment
Was This Helpful? 

Posted
By Swanky
I am as big a fan of old school masculine scents as there is on Basenotes so naturally Cravache would show up on my radar. Additionally, Fracas is my favorite feminine of them all so I was doubly interested. I picked up a bottle of Cravache in San Francisco and gave it a test drive. Others have accurately noted that Cravache is in the tradition of citrus-based fragrances such as Eau Sauvage. I think it is also similar to Boucheron, 1881 and Monsieur de Givenchy. As I enjoy the aforementioned aromas immensely, I find Cravache pleasing as well. The trick that Piguet pulls is to maintain all-day longevity while being essentially a skin scent. Those such as myself who enjoy an all-day experience get what we want while those who prefer something unobtrusive for an office environment can turn to Cravache as a suitable option. It is more natural smelling than 1881 and less sharp, more attenuated than Eau Sauvage. Frankly, if you have the other perfumes I mentioned, you don't need Cravache too. On its own merits, though, Cravache deserves a look for those seeking a classic masculine fragrance in superb packaging.
Post Comment
Was This Helpful? 

Posted
By JackTwist
This is a review for the 2007 reformulation of the original 1963 creation. I totally agree with Off-Scenter's review - this is a pleasant, dark, masculine scent, redolent of lavender and clary sage, which is classifiable neither as a chypre nor as a fougere. The vetiver/patchouli combo hides in the recesses and only emerges well into the dry down. It is not extraordinary and you can find many scents out there very similar to this one at a third of the price. So, although it is nice, it is not unique. I would imagine every house wants a variety of scents, so it is understandable that Piguet wanted a floral/herbal masculine scent to round out their line. If you're a big fan of lavender-based scents, you'll adore this one.
Post Comment
Was This Helpful? 

Posted
By Zut
I have the largest bottle available or the original 1963 Cravache (480 ml). Collectors offered me several hundred dollars for it but I declined. Cravache (original) is a dry and leathery fragrance. Yes, it is a little outdated by today's standards but it is also quite masculine and classy. Today, I finally smelled the new version of Cravache for the first time. The reedition and the classic Cravache are worlds apart. I would not say that the new Cravache is a bad fragrance per se but it has nothing to do with the original. It reminds me of the generic liquid soap we sometimes find in public conveniences. There is a freshly-sharpened-pencil note that I just cannot identify. Not really my cup of tea but at least, it is not a complete disaster. I have said it before and I shall say it again: Whenever a fragrance is reedited with a noticeably different composition, they should change the name. The new Cravache is a perfectly acceptable fragrance but if you expect the original composition, you are in for a dismal let-down.
Post Comment
Was This Helpful? 

Posted
By alfarom
This is a nice scent that in its original version used to be GREAT. This reformulation will appeal to everybody into Eau De Cologne kind of things. There's plenty of fragrances like this out there. Better and cheaper, or if you prefer better and expensier. You choose. So bad I havent put my hands on the original version.
Post Comment
Was This Helpful? 

Posted
By mjcr
I've never encountered the original Cravache which I understand is considerably better than this current formulation. Nonetheless I have to confess to enjoying this new Cravache very much. Its citrus all the way here and the vetiver/patchouli base really fleshes it all out. Its a very formal citrus indeed. This is not a carefree summer fragrance. It is indeed fresh and bracing but in a smart and slightly stiff way. Everyone talks about how the leather note has been removed and this seems to be the main gripe with this reformulation. Strangely, to my nose there is a definite soft leather note. Its subtle and very much in the background. It doesn't last though and eventually the patchouli becomes dominant with the lingering freshness of the vetiver remaining to the end.
Overall this is a very masculine, formal citrus floral in my books. Not something I regularly reach for but it certainly earns its place in my wardrobe. Definitely one to try if you can find.
Post Comment
Was This Helpful? 

Posted
By Kaern
Brylcreem, tuxedos, ocean liners come to mind --- very old school, very masculine. I usually shy away from these types of men's scents, but have to take my hat off to this lovely herbal spicy and citrusy mix. Reminds me a bit of Rive Gauche with citrus overtones. Might be slightly restrictive in terms of when to wear.
Post Comment
Was This Helpful? 

Posted
By SirSlarty
Reviewing the reissue. Classic EdC style with a more floral heart and a great and pleasant mix of herbs and citrus. Inoffensive but formal. Very nice.
Post Comment
Was This Helpful? 

Posted
By bonzo
i haven´t had the possibility to smell the original cravache but the the reformulated and reissued cravache is a huge disappointment, specially when you know that bandit and baghari, two perfumes of piguet have been reformulated fantastically and smell great.Cravache is a cheap, boring citrus scent and i always felt a bad taste of lliquorice....very unsettling note...-nothing interesting and definitely does not make you dream of more.........an older friend told me that the old cravache had a trace of leather and another ingredient was bergamot-so this one is something totally different!by the way if you look for intelligent,good masculine fragrances then i recommend the classical and timeless scents as eau sauvage by dior-azzarro pour homme-vetiver by guerlain-habit rouge-troisieme homme by caron-aramis for men-lauder for men.If you want to dare it: cuir de russie by chanel, bandit by piguet.
Post Comment
Was This Helpful? 

Posted
By foetidus
This review is for the reissued Cravache. The original, as Im told, had a definite leather note while this one doesnt. My first sniff of Cravache brought to mind a more sedate Chanel Pour Monsieur I dont know why I thought that because they are not really alike. Cravache is missing the warmth of Monsieur and it is a little more formal, but theres a certain dignity, a certain masculinity, a certain distance, and a certain history about it that that tie it to the classics and make it one of the more intriguing fragrances Ive tried in a long time. Caltha mentions aldehydes and powder and I dont get those, although I do get the mentioned freshness. I dont get an overload of spices because I find the sage, lavender, and nutmeg quite reticent, very smooth, and superbly balanced. The dry down is just plain graceful: a soft cushion of patchouli and vetiver surrounding that cool core of dignified and softly fresh masculinity. Yet all the while the fragrance holds in the far background something that is a tiny bit out of place it has just enough offness that I never surrender completely to the siren song of the fragrance; I keep half alert listening to, hesitating about that distance drum beat In other words, it is a very masculine scent.
Show more
Post Comment
Was This Helpful? 
See All 12 Reviews
Edit Cancel Save Changes History

Facts and Details

Cravache by Robert Piguet, 1963
By:
Description:

Reissued in 2007

Details:
DetailValue
Top NotesMandarin, Lemon, Petitgrain
Middle NotesClary sage, Lavender, Nutmeg
Base NotesVetiver, Patchouli
Launched Date1963
GenderMen
AvailabilityIn Production
ByRobert Piguet
Bottle Designer
Perfumer
Models:
Model Name/TypeMPNEAN/UPC
Links:
Edit Cancel Save Changes History

Guide: Cravache by Robert Piguet, 1963

Start a guide on Cravache by Robert Piguet, 1963!
Basenotes › Directory › Fragrances › Cravache by Robert Piguet, 1963