Explorer Platinum by Montblanc

Best Explorer Platinum by Montblanc Alternatives & Similar Perfumes

Explorer Platinum by Montblanc is a woody aromatic fragrance defined by a crisp blend of violet leaf, clary sage, and cedarwood. The violet leaf imparts a fresh, green facet, while clary sage adds aromatic complexity and a slight herbal nuance. Cedarwood grounds the scent with warm, dry woodiness. Those drawn to this scent might focus on fragrances that balance green freshness with aromatic woods and subtle herbal accents.

New to Bloom? Get 10% off your first order with code NICHE10
1
603 Cuir Sahib

603 Cuir Sahib by Bon Parfumeur £145.83

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £5.83
  • Key notes:
  • clary sage
  • cypriol
  • labdanum
  • leather
  • nutmeg
  • violet leaf
  • Tags:
  • #animalic
  • #beast
  • #fresh
  • #smoky
  • Aromagroups:
  • leather

Memories of the Golden Temple in India. A warm leather caress enhanced by a resinous hug of labdanum, further softened by Cashmeran. Incense adds a smoky spark, while patchouli and cypriol supply the earthiness.

Perfumer: Mylène Alran

2
Flash Back in New York

Flash Back in New York by Olfactive Studio £116.67

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £5.00
  • Key notes:
  • birch tar
  • clary sage
  • saffron
  • vetiver
  • violet leaf
  • Tags:
  • #smoky
  • Aromagroups:
  • woody

Still Life in New York is a perfume built on contrast: cozy and warm notes are set against cool and fresh materials.

The photo for this smellscape was taken by an artist who only shoots cities in the snow. She might be trying to capture that feeling of being snug while it’s snowing heavily outside.

The perfume design is toying with the same idea. Cozy warm notes of saffron, leather, smoky birch tar and vetiver are highlighted by a generous portion of cool clary sage and violet leaf.

The perfume feels like standing by a window in winter to peep at the falling snow and being able to feel both the cold ambiance coming from the glass and the warmth of the house in the background, the fireplace, steaming tea and cashmere blanket.

Perfumer: Jérôme Epinette

Photographer: Vivienne Gucwa

***

The Sniff on Flash Back in NY:
"Imagine that you are walking along a city street in the winter. The air is cold, crisp, making your lungs tingle as you breathe it in. You’re wrapped up nice and warm but the end of your nose is cold. Up ahead is a youth in a battered leather jacket smoking a marijuana cigarette and you get a second-hand whiff of it as he exhales a plume of smoke. That’s exactly what this perfume reminded us of."

Read full review

3
Dead Air

Dead Air by Oddity £141.67

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £8.33
  • Key notes:
  • cedarwood
  • davana
  • mineral accord
  • narcissus
  • oak
  • sea salt
  • vetiver
  • violet leaf
  • Tags:
  • #fresh
  • #smoky
  • Aromagroups:
  • aromatic
  • leather
  • woody

Macabre fantasy of decadent shadows and drama, unfolding from a fresh salty breeze to the deep dark underwater with blurry black tones, exuberant flora and a binding touch of wood.

Lids for Dead Air are made by hand from imperfectly beautiful charcoal encapsulated in epoxy resin resulting in unique shapes and shades, each is one of a kind — a true masterpiece.

Master perfumer
Mark Buxton

4
Masa

Masa by Kajal £145.83

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £5.83
  • Key notes:
  • cardamom
  • cedarwood
  • grapefruit
  • patchouli
  • violet leaf
  • Tags:
  • #beast
  • #clean
  • #fresh
  • Aromagroups:
  • aromatic
  • green
  • leather

Masa is the Arabic word for a one-of-a-kind diamond, and this EdP embodies the diamond’s luminosity through a balance of herbal freshness and ambered wood notes. Masa opens with a crisp combo of bergamot and grapefruit highlighted by the warm spice of ginger root. Mirabelle, a sweet golden plum, becomes the focal point, its honeyed floral charms suspended in a radiant amber syrup of cardamom, vanilla, guaiac wood and patchouli. A stealth violet leaf, a throwback to vintage elegance, steers Masa towards leather.

5
Sous Le Pont Mirabeau

Sous Le Pont Mirabeau by Etat Libre d'Orange £129.17

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £5.00
  • Key notes:
  • ambergris
  • cedarwood
  • elemi
  • fig
  • sandalwood
  • sea salt
  • violet leaf
  • Tags:
  • #fresh
  • Aromagroups:
  • fruity
  • marine
  • woody

L'espérance est violente.

Mirabeau, what a pretty word, peculiarly Parisian, suspended above the Seine. It composes a memory, joins another bank, and returns by following its trail of sandalwood, pink bay and cedar. In the heart of the City of Light, on the way to the twilight of the day, there is a bridge, a poem and a perfume.

A discreet and symbolic bridge, of the master-builder spirit which transcends borders, becoming better by coming together. Those solid foundations of cedar, sandalwood and orcanox span love and musk.

A poem as slow as it is violent, expressing the brutal and desirable hope of the one who would like to believe, of the one who wants to love. Vanilla, I write your name on the water, with muffled traces of incense and violet green.

A perfume to save us, fish us silently out of the water, bringing us above the Seine, our spirits on the water of our essences, bergamot and pink berry mingled with fig in a glass bottle, fiercely reuniting bodies in unison with souls, coming back to her by following her wake.

6
Helix

Helix by CARNER £125.00

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £5.83
  • Key notes:
  • bergamot
  • cedarwood
  • clary sage
  • lactonic nuance
  • orange blossom
  • sea salt
  • Tags:
  • #clean
  • #fresh
  • Aromagroups:
  • floral
  • marine
  • woody

A harmonious blend of lily-of-the-valley and orange blossom meets a refreshing hint of sea salt and bright bergamot. Creamy lactonic nuances unfold, enhanced by a soft musk and earthy vetiver base for an exquisite diffusion.

7
Indigo Smoke

Indigo Smoke by Arquiste £162.50

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £6.67
  • Key notes:
  • black tea
  • carrot seeds
  • cedarwood
  • clary sage
  • gaiac / guaiac wood
  • incense
  • pine tar
  • vetiver
  • Tags:
  • #sexy
  • Aromagroups:
  • leather
  • woody

Evoking the traditional smoking of tea leaves in ancient China, Indigo Smoke is an aromatic landscape of narrow serpentine rivers, blue mountains and incense-filled temples condensed into a complex formula of black tea, woody notes and incense. Rich, sophisticated and long-lasting. With notes of lapsang souchong tea, mandarin orange, apricot, guaiac wood, incense and pine tar.

 

8
Lilac Wine

Lilac Wine by Art Meets Art £91.67

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £5.00
  • Key notes:
  • cedarwood
  • clary sage
  • lavender
  • Tags:
  • #aftergym
  • #fresh
  • #savory
  • Aromagroups:
  • aromatic

Perfumer: Frank Voelkl translated this captivating and romantic jazz piece with Jeff Buckley's interpretation in mind.

 

9
003 French Yuzu

003 French Yuzu by Bon Parfumeur £45.83

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £3.33
  • Key notes:
  • jasmine
  • vetiver
  • violet leaf
  • yuzu
  • Aromagroups:
  • citrusy
  • green
  • vintage/old school

A refreshing yuzu, green violet leaves and dry vetiver cologne. 003 is an easy-wearing interpretation of 19th century barber/pharmacist tonic infusions for gentlemen and ladies. Appealing in its deep shady coolness. 

Perfumer for 003: Natalie Kobus.

10
Absent Presence

Absent Presence by Beaufort £104.17

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £5.00
  • Key notes:
  • bergamot
  • galbanum
  • leather
  • vetiver
  • violet leaf
  • Tags:
  • #fresh
  • #normcore
  • Aromagroups:
  • citrusy
  • leather

‘O absent presence, Stella is not here’

The fifth and final instalment of the Revenants collection draws inspiration from the Elizabethan poet Sir Philip Sidney. In his Sonnet sequence ‘Astrophel and Stella’ Sidney develops and captures the essence of a haunting… the presence of one that is always felt but never seen.

‘Now I, wit-beaten long by hardest fate,

So dull am, that I cannot look into

The ground of this fierce love and lovely hate,

Then some good body tell me how I do,

Whose presence absence, absent presence is;

Blesst in my curse, and cursed in my bliss.’

About Explorer Platinum by Montblanc

How does Explorer Platinum differ from these similar fragrances?
Explorer Platinum balances violet leaf, clary sage, and cedarwood to create a crisp woody aromatic scent without heavy smoky, leathery, or marine elements. Many fragrances here share some notes but often introduce additional accords like leather, incense, or sea salt, resulting in distinct character and complexity.
What are the key notes in Explorer Platinum?
The fragrance is built around violet leaf, clary sage, and cedarwood. Violet leaf provides green freshness, clary sage adds aromatic herbal nuances, and cedarwood supplies a warm woody base.
Are these fragrances suitable for someone who likes fresh woody aromatic scents?
Yes, all listed fragrances share at least one or two key notes with Explorer Platinum that contribute to its fresh woody aromatic profile. However, some introduce smoky, leathery, or marine nuances, so choice depends on preferred scent nuances.