A synthetic aromatic molecule — 7-benzo[b]furanyl methyl ketone — created in 1966 by Pfizer but used in perfumery only from the late 1980s onward. Davidoff Cool Water (1988) and L’Eau d’Issey (1992) established it as the defining molecule of the aquatic genre.

Entirely synthetic. Laboratory-produced.

Watermelon rind, fresh ocean air and something slightly metallic simultaneously. Clean, slightly green, immediately evoking open water. In isolation it smells almost medicinal — in composition it creates the convincing impression of sea air without any actual marine ingredient.

Calone is the molecule that invented aquatic perfumery. It creates instant associations with water, freshness and open air. Most aquatic fragrances from the 1990s and 2000s are heavily calone-dependent. More recent aquatics tend toward naturalistic seaweed and salt accords instead.

Also appears in: Fresh, Aromatic