MAISON FRANCIS KURKDJIAN
BACCARAT ROUGE 540 EDITION MILLESIME

2025

PERFUMER
Francis Kurkdjian

Bitter Almond
Saffron

Jasmine
Cedarwood

Ambergris
Woody Notes
Musk

A flanker of Baccarat Rouge that uses real ambergris. A limited edition of 54 bottles a year, at $28.000 a bottle.

‘Though the original Baccarat Rouge fragrance includes an ambergris accord, it’s a synthetic version that is derived from a fragrant herb called clary sage. As the perfumer recalls, ‘At some point, I said to my business partner Marc [Chaya] that I would love to push some boundaries and to use real ambergris. However, if I do, you won’t be able to sell as much.’ And thus, Édition Millésime was born (…) Because Kurkdjian had never worked with real ambergris, he had to do some research. In fact, he quite literally immersed himself in it, spending weeks on a boat with Longitude 181, an environmental organisation co-founded by a protege of legendary French oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, to learn about sperm whales and their migration habits. Working with a specialised ambergris broker, Kurkdjian acquired a block of the natural stuff, crushed it into a powder, and synthesized it into a precious liquid. Working with it, Kurkdjian says, is an olfactory version of editing an image in Photoshop: ‘You tell the guy next to you, “push the light, bring the brightness. Ok, stop there, go back.” Perfume works the same, more or less,’ he says. ‘Real ambergris brings indescribable, intangible, sexiness.’ So what does Édition Millésime smell like? Fans of the Baccarat Rouge 540 may not be able to discern the difference immediately, but as the perfume mellows, it reveals more complexities, even a certain creaminess, per the perfumer. ‘The new scent remains in the same family, it’s just a difference of strength,’ Kurkdjian explains. ‘It’s bigger in terms of volume and sillage. You have more strength. Real ambergris brings indescribable, intangible, sexiness’ (…) The result is something that’s an objet d’art, rather than a simple perfume bottle; The bottle, which comes topped with a 24-karat gold cap, and base, which ensconces the bottle between eight crystal pillars, required 19 artisans to make and some 500 hours of workmanship. The bottle and base, in turn, are stored in a spruce box – a miniature version of the ones that Baccarat uses to transport chandeliers – and even comes with its own drawstring leather carrying bag (…) The 54 lucky owners who get a hold of Édition Millésime this year will also be a part of an exclusive clique called ‘Les amis du Rouge’ and have access to special invitation-only events and releases from the Maison; each perfume bottle even comes with its own membership card.’ – Wallpaper

‘The brand’s original bottle designer Fred Rawyler was enlisted to design a red crystal vessel. A crystal-compatible spray function was added to its 24-carat-gold cap, while 19 Baccarat artisans created a crystal display for the bottle that took 500 hours. The fragrance comes in a leather and beveled mirror-lined spruce box and a hand-stitched lambskin sleeve by Paris leather workshop Atelier Renard.’ – Business Of Fashion