We recently discovered Brooklyn-based Carlen Parfums and fell in love with their Aztec Noir fragrance. The name of this perfumier comes from the name Carlen, a German woman’s name which is a variant of Carlene or Carolina and which translates to ‘free man.’ With reverence to this androgynous muse, Carlen Parfums seeks to dismantle bonds of gender, place, and time and develop unique fragrances that can be worn by anyone regardless of gender orientation. The Carlen laboratory applies a haptic process to scent design, yielding a suite of poetic fragrances that echo instinct and industry, element and gestalt, discipline, and disorder.

Much like the Japanese culture —rich in every aspect of sensorial stimulation—, Carlen Parfums distill, mimics, or synthesizes scents of increasing complexity and delicacy. Just like the complexity of a discontinued domestic market Seiko or a Grand Seiko, Carlen Parfums, unfettered by naturally-occurring fragrances, draws inspiration from all planes of perception—dreams, utopias, altered states, celestial visions, the collective unconscious, and fine art.

Gathering ideas from travel, botany, fashion, psychology, music, literature, and religious customs, Carlen draws rare materials into delicate infusions, delivering all distillations in radically minimalist vessels. Their Aztec Noir fragrance is a modern interpretation of Pre-Columbian purification rituals involving the wild Palo Santo tree and one that is exquisite on the skin just as much as a discontinued domestic market Seiko SARB035 is on the wrist.

Aztec Noir features a continuously evolving scent with notes of palo santo, white grapefruit, warm woods, cedarwood, and amber
. This evolution is similar to that of the Palo Santo wood which once lit, releases delicate aromas akin to lemongrass, incense, and citrus and is grounded by an infusion of cedarwood and amber. Picking the right scent for your skin and mood is almost as complex as selecting the right strap for that one watch that you typically wear on the bracelet it comes with. Just like selecting a taupe-colored strap for an ivory dial watch, spraying yourself with a fragrance that is not easily recognizable is a virtue.

Aztec Noir has quickly become one of our favorite scents, just like wearing an iconic Seiko on a taupe leather strap. A fragrance that will last day and night, leaving behind a trace of palo santo and a memorable scent that is nearly impossible to forget. Just like when you spot a Seiko or any other fine timepiece on a taupe-colored strap.

Sticker Price $190 USD —Seiko not included. For more info on Carlen Parfums click here.