James Bond 007
James Bond 007
74 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Bergamot and juniper berry assault the senses with a sharp, almost cleaning-product brightness—crisp but flavourless, like biting into the rind of a lemon without its juice. The citrus feels artificially rendered, devoid of the natural variation that makes even synthetic citruses compelling.
The sandalwood emerges as a lonely island, offering minimal warmth or complexity whilst the leather begins its approach. For a brief moment, there's potential—a suggestion of woody, slightly resinous character—before the leather takes over completely, rendered as a cool, peppery synthetic rather than anything tactile.
The fragrance collapses into its leather-violet leaf base, now noticeably thinner and more abstract. Within hours, projection fades to near-invisibility, leaving behind only a faint, dusty synthetic memory—closer to skin scent than lasting fragrance.
James Bond 007 Quantum presents itself as a deliberately austere fragrance—one that mistakes minimalism for sophistication. The composition is dominated by synthetic materials that lend a plasticky, slightly metallic quality to what could have been an interesting aromatic leather study. Bergamot and juniper berry open with a sharp, almost medicinal bite, the citrus notes feeling thin and spiritless rather than luminous. What follows is a puzzling void where the heart should bloom; that solitary sandalwood note sits oddly isolated, offering little creamy warmth or textural depth. Instead, the fragrance pivots abruptly to violet leaf and leather—a pairing that should evoke elegantly worn suede or a fresh-pressed suit, but instead feels discordant and rushed. The leather accord, comprising just over half the composition, emerges as the fragrance's only genuinely interesting moment, revealing itself as a synthetic, slightly peppery interpretation rather than something animalic or lived-in.
This is a fragrance for those seeking a strictly functional cologne—something to apply and forget rather than contemplate. The 2013 release feels dated now, a relic of when "unisex" often meant "inoffensive to everyone, memorable to no one." It wears like a suit purchased off the rack without alteration: technically present, fundamentally impersonal. The spy-thriller marketing suggests danger and intrigue; the juice delivers neither.
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2.9/5 (111)