BergamotOpens with
LeatherHeart
PatchouliDries down to
Jérôme EpinetteThe nose · 236 fragrances · also made Bal d'Afrique Absolu (2025)Portrait →Will you like it? Mark a few fragrances you own or love and we'll tell you.
Vilhelm Parfumerie · Sold as unisex
Morning Chess
The summer cottage where grandfather and sons pass hours over a chessboard, surrounded by endless bright mornings and the lush greenery of coastal Falkenberg.
Full bottle: Luxury tier, typically $250+. Links open each seller's own page. We may earn a commission; it never changes the order.
Morning ChessLuxury · $250+
53%Similar accords, often for lessExplorer Extreme · MontblancMid-range tier, $40–100 · shares bergamot, leather and patchouli8 matches →How it wears
From community votes · bars are each option's shareComposition & Character
Notes Pyramid
The story behind the bottle.
Morning Chess by Vilhelm Parfumerie, launched in 2015 and crafted by perfumer Jérôme Epinette, is an evocative blend of citric freshness and leather warmth that captures the essence of a summer spent on coastal Falkenberg. The fragrance opens with bergamot, a bright citrus note that gives way to the lush greenness of galbanum and the rich depth of leather. This composition mimics the endless bright mornings of summer, where grassy greens hint at the evergreen sharpness of distant winter air. Patchouli and black amber anchor the base, creating a warm and grounding finish.
Apply Morning Chess with two sprays to the pulse points. The bergamot top note is bright but fades within an hour, allowing the rich leather and patchouli base notes to take center stage. This fragrance reads best close to skin rather than across a room.
Fig. 01 — Morning Chess, Vilhelm Parfumerie
Where to buy.
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Jérôme Epinette
The hand behind ByredoJérôme Epinette is a French perfumer born and raised in Burgundy who earned a Master's degree in Biochemistry before training at the Grasse Institute of Perfumery.
Designer Vilhelm Parfumerie
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Chosen from what wearers say it smells like, what its fans also love, and its notes
Love it, not the $250+ price?
Matched by accords and notes. Sample first, then decide.
The originalMorning ChessVilhelm Parfumerie · Luxury · $250+Montblanc · 2025Explorer ExtremeShares Bergamot, Leather and Patchouli$40–100★ 4.24 (1,883)52%Match
Zara · 2016Vibrant LeatherShares Bergamot, Leather and Patchouliunder $40★ 4.15 (706)50%Match
Zara · 2018Vibrant Leather Eau de ParfumShares Bergamot, Leather and Patchouliunder $40★ 4.18 (4,052)54%Match
Dior · 2012Les Creations de Monsieur Dior DiorlingShares Bergamot, Leather and Patchouli$100–250★ 4.05 (186)
With Vilhelm Parfumerie Dear Polly
Adds fresh, musky and fruity; shares bergamot and black amber.
Suggested from accords and notes · not yet tried by wearers
What people
are saying.
Respected, if divisive: loved by 34%, disliked or hated by 14%.