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Signature Man 2008 Eau de Toilette

6.6 / 10 367 Ratings
A perfume by Otto Kern for men, released in 2008. The scent is sweet-spicy. It is being marketed by Mäurer & Wirtz.
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Main accords

Sweet
Spicy
Fresh
Synthetic
Oriental

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes Top Notes
BergamotBergamot CardamomCardamom ArtemisiaArtemisia
Heart Notes Heart Notes
Orange blossomOrange blossom CinnamonCinnamon LavenderLavender
Base Notes Base Notes
Tonka beanTonka bean CedarCedar MuskMusk
Ratings
Scent
6.6367 Ratings
Longevity
5.6326 Ratings
Sillage
5.5322 Ratings
Bottle
5.4335 Ratings
Value for money
7.8217 Ratings
Submitted by DonVanVliet, last update on 09/13/2025.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to
Signature Man (After Shave Lotion) by Otto Kern
Signature Man After Shave Lotion
Signature Man (Eau de Parfum) by Otto Kern
Signature Man Eau de Parfum
Le Mâle (Eau de Toilette) by Jean Paul Gaultier
Le Mâle Eau de Toilette
Guilty Elixir de Parfum pour Homme by Gucci
Guilty Elixir de Parfum pour Homme
Reflection Man by Amouage
Reflection Man
Lethe by Ulrich Lang
Lethe

Reviews

26 in-depth fragrance descriptions
Hotscent89

18 Reviews
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Hotscent89
Hotscent89
Top Review 17  
A very special scent for me!
I know this fragrance does not enjoy a particularly good reputation here, a circumstance I can only partially understand.

I think this situation is mainly due to the fact that this eau de toilette is not particularly high-quality and, on the other hand, comes across as very synthetic. Moreover, it is a very inexpensive drugstore scent, which further emphasizes the cheap touch.

But I would like to briefly share my story about this EDT.

I wore this scent during the first meetings with my now-girlfriend.

It was early May 2013, and she loved the scent from the very beginning. Especially when we were walking by the harbor and the wind gently carried the fragrance to her, she was smitten.

Shortly thereafter, I wore fragrances like Dior Homme Intense, Annayake Tomo, and Midnight in Paris, all of which she mentioned she loves to smell.

However, a few days ago, I decided to wear this scent again after months and surprise her on a special evening.

She recognized the scent immediately, and when I held her in my arms, emotions overflowed, and a few tears were shed. This is, of course, due to the fact that she associates this fragrance with a very special time.

But I also understand what she loves about this scent.

The opening of artemisia, bergamot, and cardamom is very spicy and masculine.

Artemisia and cardamom give the fragrance its intense aroma as well as a bitter undertone. The bergamot enhances all this with a subtle freshness that, in my opinion, prevents the scent from losing itself in that "intense aroma" described above right from the start.

Just seconds after spraying, a hint of lavender comes in, but it is only very faintly noticeable and is completely overrun by the extremely strong cinnamon.

After a few minutes, this fragrance is a real pleasure for me.

It becomes very sweet as described by others, but for me, it loses none of its masculine character.

The base notes slowly come in after a while, but they mainly allow the cinnamon to hold its place until the end.

Longevity and sillage are, of course, the big topic here and a strong point of criticism, but for me, it does not pose a particular problem.
Since fragrances seem to unfold and hold well on my skin.

For about 4-5 hours, it smells relatively intense, but then quickly fades.
The base notes mixed with cinnamon linger for a good while longer.

The sillage is satisfactory and, as mentioned above, quite usable with a gentle breeze ;)

The similarity to Le Male is clearly noticeable due to part of the top and heart notes.

However, Le Male has a character that is too boring for me and does not particularly excite me.

For me, this is a special scent that can somehow captivate me despite the clearly higher-quality fragrances in my collection.

I would be happy to one day hold a similarly scented, high-quality perfume in my hands.

I recommend it for purchase.

At this price, I recommend everyone to give it a short test.

I apologize that a short story turned into a novel, but everyone enjoys a story with a happy ending ;)
8 Comments
Gwenidina

17 Reviews
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Gwenidina
Gwenidina
Helpful Review 10  
Finally not so intrusive or just fresh, no, a hint of... see below.
I was sitting with a nice man I know in a bar recently, and I kept sniffing around me. .... "What smells so fantastic here? ... It's a bit oriental, so warm, slightly sweet... is it the waitress here? I'll ask right away what it is..., is there a scented candle lit?... " I even got up to check if it was somehow coming from the decoration placed next to us. - No, it wasn't the waiter or waitress. - The young man across from me then said, "I told you, it's me :-D, and you should know it, YOU gave it to me some time ago!!"
Ha, how wonderful, what beautiful gifts I give.
I must say that I am quite sensitive when it comes to fragrances for men; I don't like many of them at all. Too harsh, too intrusive, way too spicy. But of course, that's always a matter of taste.
Since my partner at home hardly wears any fragrances, I hardly know anything in this area. To give a gift, I have to dig deeper into the family.
And occasionally, I do notice some fantastic fragrances on other men that suit them perfectly; so far, I haven't dared to just ask them what they are wearing, probably a shame. - I am more drawn to warm scents, just subtle, but still noticeable. I found just such a fragrance at Signatur when I was searching and getting advice in the perfume department of a department store, where I usually feel completely overwhelmed.
Honestly, I liked it so much that on my way home, I kept sniffing my wrist that I thought this is a men's fragrance I would even wear as a woman.
At first, it is fresh, like many fragrances; a very light, pleasant spiciness unfolds, I then perceive something slightly floral, but just a little. And as a base, mixed with the previously described, this wonderful warmth remains. Cinnamon, just a little cinnamon, a bit of dark cocoa, and everything accompanied by an oriental hint that wafts over from time to time.
In my opinion, all notes also make brief appearances while wearing it. I tested this again by spraying it on myself once more.
I find the scent absolutely suitable for autumn and winter, although the wearer of the fragrance told me he has worn it in summer as well, then in the evening, and has received inquiries about it from time to time.
It's best not to mention that this is actually a really affordable fragrance that you can also get at Rossmann and DM. Not everyone needs to know that.
Isn't it wonderful? This makes it affordable even for younger people. Although I don't really find it age-dependent.
Something like this, not intrusive yet memorable, I can only recommend. Are other fragrances from Otto Kern like this too?
So if you know of similar-sounding fragrances, please let me know what they are called so I can give something nice again :-)
5 Comments
MrBastla

2 Reviews
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MrBastla
MrBastla
7  
Sweet Spice
As I was strolling through the local DM to stock up on hygiene products for the coming week, I stopped in front of the fragrance selection. In the rush with which I usually handle such purchases, this part of the DM has never been particularly important to me.
As a teenager, however, I always got my first fragrances from the drugstore; I only ventured into the big perfume shops after Christmas when my wallet was nicely filled again.

Unlike most Parfumo noses, it seems, I am not averse to drugstore fragrances. For little money, I discovered and grew fond of quite a few treasures here as a teenager.
I scanned the shelf and my eyes caught "Signature Man" by Otto Kern - it had the most elegant bottle of all the offered scents, was placed quite high up, and was probably intended more for grown-ups than for teenagers.
Quickly pulled out my smartphone, went on Parfumo, and saw that the fragrance was rated over 60% - a respectable value for drugstore perfumes. The 30ml EdT went into my basket - without using the tester.

I just checked online and compared prices: In the Douglas online shop, the 30ml EdT costs just under €18 - at DM, I got the same 30ml for under €10, and the 50ml variant was even (relatively speaking) more expensive than the 30ml bottle in the drugstore.
My recommendation: Definitely do not order online, drive to the nearest drugstore, and save nearly half!

If only I had tested the fragrance in the store - I would have saved ten euros.
Sprayed it on my wrist as soon as I got home and I was... disappointed.
I recently realized that I attribute more significance to fragrances than most of my social circle and really enjoy engaging with them. That's why I registered on Parfumo :-)
I'm writing my first comment not about my favorite scent, but about this one - to warn others!

The fragrance itself is truly intense; two sprays are enough to have it constantly in your nose. Unfortunately, that's probably the only positive thing about it.
Personally, I find the scent too overpowering and I don't like the combination of sweetness and spice; I now have a headache from it. If I had gained more experience, I would have certainly noticed this after reading the pyramid - but I am (still) inexperienced and now the fragrance just sits around.

As other comments here have already described, the character of the fragrance consists of a woody, spicy sweetness - this is absolutely not for me, as I now know; either a perfume is woody/spicy or it is sweet/fruity/fresh, but definitely not both!
I hardly perceived the top note at all, but the orange blossoms and cinnamon linger in my nose the whole time.
I haven't been able to notice the tonka bean so far, even though I actually really like it.

I can certainly understand why others like this fragrance so much. If I were attracted to the combination of strong spices and sweetness, I would surely be pleased to have discovered such an intense scent for only €10!
Since it unfortunately does not appeal to me, I am glad to wash it off right away and indulge in the tonka bean in "Midnight in Paris"...

Those who like the fragrance can probably wear it with almost anything - especially in winter, as it is quite heavy (definitely unsuitable for sports). A typical everyday scent.
1 Comment
FabianO

1008 Reviews
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FabianO
FabianO
Helpful Review 6  
A simpler, less intrusive "Le Mâle" clone
As mentioned multiple times below, I can only confirm: "Signature Man" attempts to ride the mainstream success wave of Gaultier's 90s classic.

It succeeds quite solidly. I must say: I am not a fan of the cloying, intrusive sweet-powdery mint-lavender-cinnamon-vanilla bombardment that one is forced to inhale even when strolling 25 meters behind the corresponding disco-goers through the city.

"Signature Man" is - not too bad - less heavy-handed, and its range of ingredients is significantly more redundant (likely also due to the price point).

Essentially, soft, slightly powdery cinnamon and lavender notes dominate here. The orange blossom in the heart phase makes a rather fine connection to "Sculpture homme," which I personally appreciate very much.

"Signature" is somewhat less sweet and brash than "Le Mâle," showing more understatement. This is certainly also due to the absence of vanilla, which Gaultier uses to its fullest and fills entire rooms with its scent. "Signature" relies somewhat timidly on a soft, slightly caramel-like tonka bean.

The sillage is closer to the skin, less attention-seeking.

I cannot claim that I find the core scent worse than the sailor. Sure, "Le Mâle" is the original and undoubtedly olfactorily more complex, but it is also extremely intrusive, brash, and annoyingly dense in its sweetness.

This is where "Signature Man" plays to its strengths - gourmand-sensual (in the age range of teenager to young man), coherent, and actually quite cozy autumnal.

For someone around 20 or younger, it is certainly not a bad gift.
1 Comment
R1ngwood

4 Reviews
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R1ngwood
R1ngwood
Very helpful Review 12  
Otto Kern or would you rather have a pair of socks for Christmas…? ;-)
It was that time of year again, Christmas was just around the corner, so the annual discussions among my parents, my sister, and me began.

What will be given as gifts?
It shouldn’t be too expensive, but also nothing too cheap that would end up gathering dust in the corner.
“Perfume,” I said, “Perfume always works. But please don’t buy it blindly, pay attention to wishes.”

Well, so far so good..
Christmas Eve arrived, everyone was gathered together and eagerly unwrapping their gifts, including me.
A small square package, *shake* there was a clear swish, it had to be perfume. And indeed it was, a small simple 30ml bottle smiled at me, but I grimaced back & placed it directly in the corner.
A drugstore scent, seriously?

The next day started, I had just showered and remembered my gift. I was a bit curious, so I gave it a chance. 1 spray in the air, 4-5 on my body.
Wow, I was pleasantly surprised! It started off immediately with a sweetness, a certain citrus note that reminded me of nothing cheap, as one often expects from low-cost fragrances, and there was an alcohol smell that faded relatively quickly.

After 1/2 hour, it developed its final scent (no cinnamon detectable), was noticeable to others for about an hour, but then unfortunately became more intimate. For me, it had faded after 4 hours…

Conclusion:
Sillage and longevity are unfortunately very weak, but the smooth scent is great. It’s good for daily wear, you perceive yourself for a certain time and feel fresh.
It’s not a purely masculine scent, the sweetness gives it a somewhat feminine touch.
Shopping, gym, a quick trip to the bakery, or as a teenager with little pocket money for a first date?
It doesn’t matter where, how old, or how late.
It’s not too intrusive for anything and really super affordable.
I am quite grateful to my sister for the gift & another little journey into the world of fragrances!
1 Comment
More reviews

Statements

72 short views on the fragrance
3
Very underrated fragrance, it's a fresher version of Le Male, very easy to wear. Amazing!
0 Comments
33
36
Synthi-Artemisia & fresh green cardamom head towards the Levant. Powdery spicy lavender in bloom.
Tonkafriendly.
Querelle smiles.
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36 Comments
22
16
Orange blossom, lavender, and tonka: well, well? It’s meant to remind you of Le Mâle, but it’s definitely unique and more aromatic masculine.
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16 Comments
18
14
Sweet-bitter, a bit oriental & woodsy accents - you can do it, but you don't have to.
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14 Comments
9
1
Sweet musk-tonka mix with a synthetic touch. Sounds worse than it is. More of a likable all-rounder for the cooler season.
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1 Comment
8
A simple, gentle, sweet-spicy scent, with an outstanding, soft-warm powderiness. Peaceful, harmless, yet alluring.
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0 Comments
8
2
I sprayed it on again recently. For me, it's by far the BEST "drugstore scent" currently available.
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2 Comments
6
2
It's probably too cheap for good reviews. I like it! Sweet, floral, fresh. Reminds me a lot of RM + a hint of freshly ironed laundry.
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2 Comments
6
1
My entry into the world of fragrances. Affordable, under 10 euros, but I quickly realized there's more to it. Still: not bad°!
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1 Comment
6
Very good, long-lasting scent for autumn or winter. A bit sweet but also fresh, in my opinion. Easy to wear.
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0 Comments
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