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Round 86 of the AlHimyan Perfume Battle puts two very different ideas of luxury in the same ring. Xerjoff XJ 1861 Naxos defends a run of thirty-one straight wins, the longest reign in the history of the tournament. Its challenger is Byredo Black Saffron, the Stockholm house's 2012 leather-and-saffron scent that won a Fragrance Foundation award the year after its launch.

On paper this is a clash of styles. Naxos is honey, lavender and tobacco: warm, sweet and generous. Black Saffron is leather, saffron and raspberry: darker, drier and more unusual. Both are available at AlHimyan in the UAE, and both Fragrantica and Parfumo were reachable today, so the full five-part scoring formula is in use.

The tale of the tape

Xerjoff XJ 1861 Naxos: the champion

Naxos belongs to the Xerjoff 1861 collection, created for the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy and dedicated to Sicily. It opens with lavender, bergamot and lemon, and Parfumo also lists a thread of Omani frankincense. The heart brings honey, cinnamon and jasmine sambac over soft cashmere wood.

The dry-down of tobacco leaf, tonka bean and vanilla is warm and creamy without turning sticky. Fragrantica voters name sweet, honey, vanilla, tobacco and lavender as its main accords, and Parfumo ranks it number one among all unisex perfumes.

Community scores: Fragrantica 4.49/5 from 21,348 votes. Parfumo: Scent 8.9/10 from 13,942 ratings, Longevity 8.8, Sillage 8.5, Bottle 9.1, Value for money 7.6.

Byredo Black Saffron: the challenger

Black Saffron was launched by Byredo in 2012, and Parfumo notes that it won the Fragrance Foundation's Perfume Extraordinaire of the Year prize in 2013. Fragrantica classes it as an oriental spicy fragrance for women and men, and Parfumo sums it up in two words: leathery and fruity.

Fragrantica lists saffron, juniper berries and Chinese grapefruit in the top, leather and black violet in the heart, and raspberry, cashmeran and vetiver in the base. Parfumo adds rose and blond woods. Fragrantica voters name leather, fruity, woody, aromatic and warm spicy as its main accords. The result is a smooth, slightly sweet suede rather than a heavy biker leather, with the raspberry giving it a soft, jammy edge.

Community scores: Fragrantica 3.92/5 from 4,619 votes. Parfumo: Scent 7.4/10 from 691 ratings, Longevity 7.3, Sillage 6.7, Bottle 7.4, Value for money 6.1.

Head to head

Scent quality. A clear win for Naxos: 4.49 against 3.92 on Fragrantica and 8.9 against 7.4 on Parfumo. Naxos also has far more votes behind it, which makes its lead the more reliable of the two. Black Saffron is admired by leather lovers, but it divides opinion more than the crowd-pleasing honey of Naxos.

Performance. Naxos again. Parfumo users give it 8.8 for longevity and 8.5 for sillage, against 7.3 and 6.7 for Black Saffron. Black Saffron sits closer to the skin and some reviewers report that it fades within a few hours, while Naxos is known to stay on clothes into the next day.

Value. Parfumo users score the value for money of Naxos at 7.6 and Black Saffron at 6.1. At AlHimyan the two are priced close to each other for the same 100 ml size, so the difference in performance weighs heavily here.

Presentation. Naxos, 9.1 against 7.4. The honeycomb-gold Xerjoff bottle is one of the most admired in niche perfumery. The Byredo flacon is clean and minimal, with the house's signature black cap and simple label.

The verdict

Winner: Xerjoff XJ 1861 Naxos. The champion takes its thirty-second consecutive round with a margin of 1.41, winning every category. Black Saffron is a distinctive, award-winning leather, but on community votes and performance it could not match the honey-tobacco favourite.

A note on method. Fragrantica and Parfumo figures were read on 11 October 2026, and Fragrantica ratings were converted to a 10-point scale. Longevity, sillage and value for money come from Parfumo community bars for both perfumes.

Which one should you buy?

Buy Naxos if you want a honey-tobacco scent with lavender freshness on top, a crowd favourite that lasts all day and night and works for both men and women.

Buy Black Saffron if you want something less common: a soft suede leather with saffron spice and a hint of raspberry, quieter on the skin and well suited to people who prefer a scent that stays personal.

How to wear them in the UAE

Naxos is rich, so two sprays are enough: one on the neck and one on the chest or the kandura collar. It suits cool evenings, air-conditioned majlis gatherings and the winter months from November onwards.

Black Saffron is lighter in projection, so three or four sprays work well, including one on clothing to help it last. Its dry leather and saffron also sit naturally next to oud and bakhoor, which makes it an interesting layering base for evening wear.

Frequently asked questions

What does Byredo Black Saffron smell like? A spicy, fruity leather: saffron, juniper and grapefruit on top, leather and black violet in the heart, and raspberry, cashmeran and vetiver in the base.

When was Black Saffron released? In 2012. It won the Fragrance Foundation's Perfume Extraordinaire of the Year prize in 2013, according to Parfumo.

Is Black Saffron long-lasting? Moderately. Parfumo users rate its longevity 7.3 out of 10 and its sillage 6.7, both below Naxos.

Is it for men or women? Both. Fragrantica lists Black Saffron and Naxos as fragrances for women and men.

Which is better for a gift? Naxos is a sure crowd-pleaser in a striking bottle. Black Saffron suits someone who already owns the popular scents and wants a refined leather that few people around them wear.

Where can I buy them in the UAE? Both are available at AlHimyan: Xerjoff XJ 1861 Naxos Eau de Parfum 100 ml and Byredo Black Saffron Eau de Parfum 100 ml, with cash on delivery and fast delivery across the Emirates.

Next round

Naxos has now won thirty-two rounds in a row. A new challenger steps up next time. Follow the Perfume Battle on the AlHimyan blog and on Instagram to see who finally ends the reign.