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Which house is the biggest copycat - Bond no. 9 or Sean John?

post #1 of 46
5/31/12 at 12:55pm
Thread Starter 
I mean Sean John ripped off one or maybe two Creeds, but Bond No. 9 ripped off
- Green irish Tweed
- At the Beach 1966

I can verify the above. They are shameless ripoffs.

I've also heard they ripped off Silver Mountain Water

What the hell Bond No. 9?
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post #2 of 46
5/31/12 at 2:10pm
I don't like to think of them as ripoffs, maybe homages. Certain people think the new version is better. I'm sure there's a fine line between copycat and just a similar fragrance. But I guess to answer your question Bond No. 9 has Hamptons (Silver Mountain Water), Chez Bond (Green Irish Tweed), Bleecker Street (Purple Label), and a lot of people are saying Wall Street smells like Millesime Imperial (it doesn't) and Scent of Peace smells like Light Blue. Fire Island doesn't smell like At the Beach 1966 to me, but they are both modeled after sunscreen...also they were released so close to each other I doubt that a copy could have been made in that amount of time.

Now, although there are similarities, can't that be said for a lot of things? Is it just that the fragrances that are being copied are so recognizable that anything with that scent would be considered a ripoff? Chez Bond smells like GIT, but at the same time it doesn't. There are numerous fragrances that give of the Eau de Cologne feeling, are they all copying each other?
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post #3 of 46
5/31/12 at 2:19pm
Thread Starter 
"Fire Island doesn't smell like At the Beach 1966 to me"

Who said Fire Island was the clone? Busted.

Wall Street definitely does not smell like Millesime Imperial.
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post #4 of 46
5/31/12 at 2:21pm
Oh, ok, that's what you pulled from that paragraph. Anyways, then what are you referring to with At the Beach 1966?
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post #5 of 46
5/31/12 at 2:24pm
I also see these as similar but not direct copies. Personally, I definitely see the difference in Chez Bond & GIT, and I prefer the sweeter, smoother Chez Bond. I find it more modern and less abrasive. As far as Fire Island vs. At The Beach 1966; they are definitely different to my nose. I love At The Beach '66, but am not that crazy about Fire Island. ATB66 is much sharper and has more of the iodine/ozone accord that mimics the sea air, sand & boardwalk wood. While Fire Island is more feminine & musky & dries down to more of a lotion/makeup type smell. Yes, they both evoke sunscreen, but the drydowns are worlds apart.
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post #6 of 46
5/31/12 at 2:29pm
If not Fire Island, then which Bond were you comparing to At The Beach '66? The only other two I can see some similarity to are Andy Warhol Montauk and High Line. Both are ozonic/floral and have kinda the same vibe, but smell different to me.
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post #7 of 46
5/31/12 at 2:41pm
I dont think they copy to be honest, yeah they smell similar. Look at Creed GIT, it smell like Cool Water so who copied who?
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post #8 of 46
5/31/12 at 2:44pm
Thread Starter 
My point was that I didn't identify fire island aywhere in my post, and thus starshipvelcro's suggesting that fire island is the ATB66 clone proves that fire island smells like ATB66, despite his protestations!
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post #9 of 46
5/31/12 at 2:52pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Oupavoc View Post

I dont think they copy to be honest, yeah they smell similar. Look at Creed GIT, it smell like Cool Water so who copied who?

It's widely known that Davidoff copied Creed.
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post #10 of 46
5/31/12 at 2:54pm
Relax bro. Everyone copies everyone these days. What matters is who does it best
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post #11 of 46
5/31/12 at 2:57pm
I think every house has been guilty to some extent at least in intent if not in result.
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post #12 of 46
5/31/12 at 3:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by eggy View Post

Relax bro. Everyone copies everyone these days. What matters is who does it best

imo this

and the main three scents is Cool Water/GIT/Chez Bond

and imo who does that scent best is Bond no.9 with Chez Bond
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post #13 of 46
5/31/12 at 3:18pm
No, I knew they both gave a sunscreen vibe. Then directly after that I stated they didn't smell similar. Busted.
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post #14 of 46
5/31/12 at 3:37pm
Of course Bond No.9 copies other houses. Doesn't really matter because their copies are the same price if not quite a bit more expensive than the original versions. What I have a problem with is they smell flat or just smell like odd poopoo.
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post #15 of 46
5/31/12 at 3:39pm
I agree with starshipvelcro, Fire Island and At the beach 1966 dont smell similar. If you want a beach scent At the beach 1966 is the better choice.
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post #16 of 46
5/31/12 at 3:53pm
Isn't Le Labo a usual suspects in this?
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post #17 of 46
5/31/12 at 3:55pm
probably they share similarity in mixture of molecules (which are usually produced by the same few companies worldwide
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post #18 of 46
5/31/12 at 4:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MaxHeadroom View Post

Isn't Le Labo a usual suspects in this?

Like what? I can't think of any?
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post #19 of 46
5/31/12 at 5:39pm
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oh lordy, we going to beat this old drum again?

Just do a search on "Bond rip off" You'll get over 50 basenotes threads.

Posting a new thread with this kind of negativity (when there is already plenty to read, if you are truly concerned) turns people off.
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post #20 of 46
5/31/12 at 6:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by firehorse View Post

Like what? I can't think of any?

I've read about it here http://scentforthought.blogspot.com....d-27-labo.html and tend to agree
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post #21 of 46
5/31/12 at 6:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MaxHeadroom View Post

I've read about it here http://scentforthought.blogspot.com....d-27-labo.html and tend to agree

None of those scents smell anything like any of the Le Labos that they are paired with. Done believe everything you read on the internet.

Mr OP, cerel, how many Bond No 9 perfumes have you tested? There is also a Himalaya ripoff and a vintage Paco Rabanne pour Homme ripoff. I only buy from companies who feel shame about ripping off other scents.
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post #22 of 46
5/31/12 at 6:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MaxHeadroom View Post

I've read about it here http://scentforthought.blogspot.com....d-27-labo.html and tend to agree

Well, that's certainly something I can't agree with at all. The ones they listed ranged from a faint resemblance to nothing alike...
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post #23 of 46
5/31/12 at 7:39pm
Bond No 9 wins this one b/c Sean Jean only copied Millesime Imperial. His other fragrances don't smell like Creeds.
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post #24 of 46
5/31/12 at 8:59pm
Among those already mentioned New Haarlem and Nuit de Noho borrow heavily from Rochas Man and Thierry Mugler Angel respectively.
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post #25 of 46
5/31/12 at 10:14pm
IMO, Bond No 9 Hamptons is a clear ripoff of Creed SMW. Difficult to tell the two apart, but a trained nose can tell that SMW is the better juice.
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post #26 of 46
5/31/12 at 11:29pm
Copycats have been around in perfumery since it began. I do believe that when it comes to Bond No. 9 it is part and parcel of the business model - no risks, just take successful, well-tested mainstream styles, tweak them a bit, avoid high-cost ingredients, box the juices in gaudy bottles surrounded by a pretty I LOVE NY branding concept not reflected (obviously) in the actual fragrances and laugh all the way down to the bank.
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post #27 of 46
6/1/12 at 12:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by CaliDude View Post

IMO, Bond No 9 Hamptons is a clear ripoff of Creed SMW. Difficult to tell the two apart, but a trained nose can tell that SMW is the better juice.

Does it even have that cooling effect?
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post #28 of 46
6/1/12 at 12:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by CaliDude View Post

IMO, Bond No 9 Hamptons is a clear ripoff of Creed SMW. Difficult to tell the two apart, but a trained nose can tell that SMW is the better juice.

A trained nose can tell them apart. I am pretty sure that most noses, would not like to be dictated by your opinion, of which one is the better frangrance. One's opinion of which one is better, is highly subjective and therefore not universally agreed upon.

EDIT:

But to stay on topic, I would say that Bond No.9 seems to have the most scents, that have been, uhm, inspired by others.
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post #29 of 46
6/1/12 at 1:16am
Bond No 9 for sure.
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post #30 of 46
6/1/12 at 1:45am
I can't wait for Bond to copy Aventus so I can get a similar smell that lasts 12 hours instead of 2...
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post #31 of 46
6/1/12 at 3:02am
Byredo is another 100% cut and paste concept. A little Frederic Malle, a little biehl parfumkunstwerke, some generic niche content, done.
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post #32 of 46
6/1/12 at 3:10am
I don't really accept the premise of the OP's question......

Sure some Bond's smell like other frags but that's not even most of them and there's more than enough differentiation to mean that Bond is catering to different tastes.

Re Byredo, the comment about them being generic niche or similar does not make sense to me. I've read this before about certain fragrances in their line-up but no one is ever able to articulate the fragrances they are supposedly like or ripping-off.
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post #33 of 46
6/1/12 at 3:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by laph View Post


Re Byredo, the comment about them being generic niche or similar does not make sense to me. I've read this before about certain fragrances in their line-up but no one is ever able to articulate the fragrances they are supposedly like or ripping-off.

http://1000fragrances.blogspot.de/20...ce-review.html
http://1000fragrances.blogspot.de/20...w-perfume.html
http://1000fragrances.blogspot.de/20...ce-review.html
http://1000fragrances.blogspot.de/20...yredo-new.html
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post #34 of 46
6/1/12 at 4:22am
What, oh what is the problem ? As long as similar scents smell good, the discerning consumer can choose the best of the bunch.
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post #35 of 46
6/1/12 at 4:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ursula View Post

What, oh what is the problem ? As long as similar scents smell good, the discerning consumer can choose the best of the bunch.

Well, it destroys the whole allure of a niche fragrance. It's not supposed to be a copycat, it's supposed to be something genuine and artistically crafted with an importance placed on the quality of ingredients. Copycats are bad for everyone!
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post #36 of 46
6/1/12 at 5:28am
You can argue that to a certain degree ... My point is that the ingredients are available to every manufacturer, and that there are similarities to begin with. A car resembles a car ... you drive them. A watch resembles a watch ... it functions as a watch. A rose by any other name doth smell as sweet (not the exact words).

Right now, Chandler Burr, is starting a project to sniff an unlabeled scent and base the judgment on the scent, and not on marketing, advertising. All advertising is just a big fuss, a big hooplah, a big huff ...

So, if some of some House's embellishment (other than the scent) goes away by a near exact copy, SO WHAT ??

Perhaps I am digressing from the narrow topic to something wider, the large picture.
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post #37 of 46
6/1/12 at 5:42am
Well, musicians are taken to court for sampling 10 seconds from another person's work...
But the biger question really seems, whether perfume as art is a serious proposition or just a marketing ploy by Firmenich.
To me, a fragrance by Roudnitska or Daltroff is a William Turner, while your typical Bond No. 9 is a Thomas Kinkade. Both paintings, but a big difference. Obviously perfume has always moved between these poles and obviously the majority of consumers are far more concerned with the image they are purchasing than the actual fragrance, but as genuine perfume lovers we should be having these discussions and be cutting through some of the marketing jargon. Burr's idea is thus most welcome.



Quote:
Originally Posted by Ursula View Post

You can argue that to a certain degree ... My point is that the ingredients are available to every manufacturer, and that there are similarities to begin with. A car resembles a car ... you drive them. A watch resembles a watch ... it functions as a watch. A rose by any other name doth smell as sweet (not the exact words).

Right now, Chandler Burr, is starting a project to sniff an unlabeled scent and base the judgment on the scent, and not on marketing, advertising. All advertising is just a big fuss, a big hooplah, a big huff ...

So, if some of some House's embellishment (other than the scent) goes away by a near exact copy, SO WHAT ??

Perhaps I am digressing from the narrow topic to something wider, the large picture.
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post #38 of 46
6/1/12 at 5:45am
No Bond "copy" comes as close to being a true copy as Xerjoff's Oesel, which is 99% the same as Fleur du Male. Also, their Mefisto is very close to SMW - closer than Hamptons, for sure.

And yes, some Bond's do smell similar to other scents. I prefer Hamptons to SMW - it is a bit saltier and less smooth (SMW is kind of smooth to a fault, imo). Great jones is somewhat like Paco Rabanne PH but all around better, imo. Bleecker Street is fairly similar to Purple Label but it is simultaneously more herbal and more gourmand, and smells higher quality than PL which is ruined due to a massive dose of hedione.

I don't get why people don't complain about say, Hermes, which is often cited as such a 'quality' house, even though the majority of their scents are iso e super bombs. And things like the Jardin series? Not far removed from melony/fresh/fruity designer scents, honestly.
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post #39 of 46
6/1/12 at 6:05am
One man's copy is another man's refined scent.

With the finite palette available, scents will, of necessity, be quite similar. It is up to the discerning customers to chose the scent, based on quality and overall effect, which satisfies their needs, be it quite similar to another, existing scent or not.
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post #40 of 46
6/1/12 at 9:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Oupavoc View Post

I agree with starshipvelcro, Fire Island and At the beach 1966 dont smell similar. If you want a beach scent At the beach 1966 is the better choice.

I think it depends on your taste in sunscreen.

At the Beach 1966 - Coppertone
Fire Island - Bain de Soleil
Vittoria Apuana - Vintage Italian coconut/banana tanning lotion
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post #41 of 46
6/1/12 at 10:04am
They ALL copy each other all the time, of course. What is remarkable is that they don't do it more closely: it is easy to reverse engineer every single fragrance formula with a very high degree of accuracy. What is sad is that originality does so poorly in the marketplace there is so little incentive to be original.
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post #42 of 46
6/1/12 at 10:14am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SculptureOfSoul View Post

I don't get why people don't complain about say, Hermes, which is often cited as such a 'quality' house, even though the majority of their scents are iso e super bombs. And things like the Jardin series? Not far removed from melony/fresh/fruity designer scents, honestly.

I say that all the time, but nobody listens .
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post #43 of 46
6/2/12 at 1:07am
Quote:
Originally Posted by the_good_life View Post

http://1000fragrances.blogspot.de/20...ce-review.html
http://1000fragrances.blogspot.de/20...w-perfume.html
http://1000fragrances.blogspot.de/20...ce-review.html
http://1000fragrances.blogspot.de/20...yredo-new.html

Thanks tgl.

I kind of agree about Blanche and Seven Veils but what the other reviews tell me is that the blogger does not like a few Byredo frags because some (in part) use compositions or accords that were present in other (sometimes departed) 80's - 90's fragrances.
I can understand the frustration, and he's of course entitled to his tasted and opinion, but this still doesn't provide actual fragrances that have been copied and doesn't really support generic as a descriptor.

The review of Baudelaire (which I agree is a poorly named fragrance) completely misses the unusual slightly marine aldehydic underbelly that flips this fragrance from being an easy airy soft-woody aromatic fragrance to one that's more moist, confronting and difficult to understand and wear.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a huge fan of this house. I just get a little concerned when a whole house is so completely dismissed.
Dismissing Byredo sweeps aside some of the more interesting offerings like M/Mink, Gypsy Water, Bal D'Afrique, Pulp and maybe Chembur.

Anyway, wasn't this erroneous thread supposed to be about Bond?
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post #44 of 46
6/2/12 at 1:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SculptureOfSoul View Post


I don't get why people don't complain about say, Hermes, which is often cited as such a 'quality' house, even though the majority of their scents are iso e super bombs. And things like the Jardin series? Not far removed from melony/fresh/fruity designer scents, honestly.

word
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post #45 of 46
6/2/12 at 12:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by heperd View Post

None of those scents smell anything like any of the Le Labos that they are paired with. Done believe everything you read on the internet.

Mr OP, cerel, how many Bond No 9 perfumes have you tested? There is also a Himalaya ripoff and a vintage Paco Rabanne pour Homme ripoff. I only buy from companies who feel shame about ripping off other scents.

Regarding the Le Labo reviews - agreed. I do understand the comparisons between Vetiver 46 and CdG 2 Man though. Focusing on the differences between scents, rather than their similarities, might lead to a more optimistic take on them. But, as the guys at Badger & Blade always say, YMMV (your mileage may vary).
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post #46 of 46
6/4/12 at 6:36pm
So...I have read so many attacks on Bond no 9 being a copycat fragrance company over the 6 months that I have been on basenotes...AND, I have read so many posts about how Bond no 9 has about a million fragrances and that they need to slow down and not produce so many...BUT the typical Bond no 9 fragrances that are cited as being copycats are Hamptons, Chez Bond, and Wall Street....so, all that being said, if ALL that Bond no 9 does is copy others, then why aren't there a million fragrances being compared to THE "millions" of fragrances that Bond no 9 has produced? What people fail to realize (whether on purpose or out of ignorance) is that there are MANY Bond no 9 fragrances that don't have any similarities to any other fragrances. Yep, it's easy to attack the entire company because of a few similar-to-other fragrances, but you need to remember that they have a lot of other fragrances that are great.

Personally, I love Bond no 9 fragrances, I think they are modern and different, and I tend to like the one's that aren't copycats the most. Personally, I don't like the Hamptons, so I don't care if it's a copy, Chez Bond is better than GIT in my opinion, and I'm not that much of a fan of Wall Street either. To me New Haarlem is a masterpiece and Rochas Man is terrible so I see the similar vibe but I don't get the copycatness at all. I just smell fragrances and get the ones that appeal to me most, Bond no 9 appeals to me and I'm ok with that.
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