Visa by Robert Piguet c1945

Visa by Robert Piguet: launched  in 1945, created by perfumer Jean Carles and Germaine Cellier.

Visa with its light, refreshing scent, was created especially for daytime wear and for blondes.

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? The original vintage version is classified as a leathery chypre oriental fragrance for women.

• Top notes: aldehydes, white peach, pear, violet leaf, Italian bergamot and mandarin
• Middle notes: Chinese gardenia, Egyptian geranium, Grasse jasmine, cinnamon, Filipino ylang-ylang, rose, cloves, Tunisian orange blossom, Moluccan nutmeg, immortelle
• Base notes: Colombian tolu balsam, costus, patchouli, Atlas cedar, castoreum, sandalwood, Zanzibar vetiver, oakmoss, Ethiopian civet, vanilla, benzoin, Tibetan musk and leather

Combat, 1953:

"Visa by Robert Piguet - Leather, Chinese gardenia, cedrus atlantica, with exotic notes: tolu from Colombia, nutmeg from the Moluccas, ylang ylang from the Philippines and vetiver from Zanzibar. The veteran of beautiful ships, in her exotic wooden cabin, opened her suitcases, fragrant beasts loaded with trophies. Here roves which smell of rue de la Pais; there carnivorous flowers which keep the aroma of the jungles. A taste of seaweed comes through the portholes. And the nomad contemplates the visa of a passport for any change of scenery."

Bottles:

The crystal parfum bottles were made by Pochet et du Courval in France:

• 1/8 oz Purse size mini
• 1/4 oz bottle stands 2.25"tall
• 1/2 oz - bottle stands 2.5" tall  
• 1 oz - bottle stands  3 3/8” tall 
• 2 oz bottle stands 4.25" tall
• 4 oz
• 8 oz

France-Illustration, 1948:

"A Perfume Bottle Sent by Airmail for the Princess. The Frenchman - although very young and even if he does not show enormous practical sense - is known to have these charming gestures which touch the heart of a woman. This is how a team of French scouts from New York sent to Paris, for Princess Elizabeth, a bottle of Parisian perfume...bought in New York. Their gracious present - a bottle of VISA by Robert Piguet, whose packaging is specially designed for air travel - is the fruit of all their pooled savings. Lovingly carried to La Guardia Field, New York airport, it was hand-delivered there to an Air France pilot, with instructions to deliver it to another team of scouts who had come to pick it up at Orly. They had the great honor of handing it over to the princess. Sixty-five scouts from the Lycée Francais de New York team participated in the purchase of Piguet's perfume. They declared that they knew, despite their young age, that the best souvenir that a woman could take away from Paris was a bottle of this perfume which made the city famous... and that they did not intend the princess to be deprived of this pleasure."

L'Amour de l'art, 1950:

"Visa by Robert Piguet: The Scottish tartan sheath and the yellow packaging invite you to ultra-fast and magical journeys. For the departure towards the zenith, in the clouds or the sun... in Orly, Rio, La Guardia or Bombay... This 'visa' is a passport of elegance."

Homes & Gardens, 1951:

"Robert Piguet's " Visa " in eau- de-toilette form, tartan-boxed, both look and smell distinguished. Certainly a lovely new presentation counts for a very great deal."

Fate of the Fragrance:

Discontinued, date unknown. Still sold in 1958.

In the 1950s, the Robert Piguet fragrances were owned and distributed by the John Robert Powers Products Company. You will see both names on bottles and boxes.

In 1960, Jacqueline Cochran became the distributor for Robert Piguet perfumes in the USA. The boxes and bottles may only be marked with the "Robert Piguet Parfums" name was used until around 1982.

The Robert Piguet fragrances were owned by Alfin (Irwin Alfin/Adrien Arpel, Inc.) from 1982-1995. In 1985, the company formed a subdivision, Orinter Geneva Switzerland, to handle the Parfums Robert Piguet. The Company owned the exclusive worldwide manufacturing, distribution and licensing rights for Fracas, Bandit, Cravache, Baghari and Musk Blanc. The company also initiated mass marketing of other popular Robert Piguet fragrances.

It was at this time that they reformulated and relaunched these fragrances, and unfortunately, these versions are the worst according to online reviews.

Then the Robert Piguet brand was acquired by Fashion Fragrances and Cosmetics, Ltd. (FF&C) in 1995 and brought back several of the original classics as well as launching new ones.

Visa was reformulated to closely match the original feminine version by Aurelien Guichard and relaunched in 2007. This is the current version seen on the Robert Piguet Parfums website.

From Robert Piguet Parfums website:

"A blend of spices, flowers and fruits from different areas of the globe."

So what does it smell like? It is classified as a gourmand oriental fragrance for women.

• Top notes: white peach, pear, violet leaves, Italian bergamot and yellow mandarin essences
• Middle notes: ylang-ylang absolute, rose absolute, immortelle absolute and orange blossom absolute
• Base notes:  Indonesian patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver, moss, vanilla bean, benzoin and leather accord

In 2014, a special limited edition of Visa was presented exclusively at Harrods and is available in a precious gold finished flacon. The richly gilded bottle is nestled onto soft ivory satin and housed in a black coffret. The body of the lavish bottle features a black tag with the name of this limited edition, with its letters inscribed in gold. The fragrance has not been changed, it is simply a collector's flacon filled with 100ml Eau de Parfum. It is available at Harrods for £150.00.

The Robert Piguet brand is pleased to present the Limited Edition Visa de Robert Piguet Parfum with Swarovski Elements Crystals. Opulence and splendor spotlight this special edition. The flacons are elegantly embellished with delicate Swarovski crystals along each facet of the bottle as well as topped with a crystallized stopper. The large 1 litre bottle retailed for $13,500 in 2013.

The Robert Piguet brand is pleased to present the Limited Edition Visa de Robert Piguet Parfum with Swarovski Elements Crystals. Opulence and splendor spotlight this special edition. The flacons are elegantly embellished with delicate Swarovski crystals along each facet of the bottle as well as topped with a crystallised stopper. The parfum flacon is elegantly presented in a sleek black piano box to complete the lavish presentation. The 60ml eau de parfum retailed for $1100.00 in 2013.