Finally summer! A little personal tradition, during this season, I leave behind my classic watches and my dress chronographs: they enter into estivation .
So, during the summer months, what can you replace your classic watch with? A bare wrist? A few bracelets? You must have guessed it, you know our selection of diving watches . For me, it's systematic, every summer, a diver comes to accompany me, invariably, to the beach or in town, in the countryside or on a boat. And that's good, an old model with a great story is making a comeback via a collaboration that caught my attention.
Jacques Bianchi and the French Navy
In recent years, the theme of the French Navy is very fashionable+ whether it is through bracelets or watches with ratings of vintage models that equipped the French Navy which literally took off.
One of the most striking examples was the provision of Tudor Submariners to certain units of the Royal Navy, particularly the Marine Commandos. However, although regularly highlighted, Tudor Submariners did not enjoy a monopoly. A few rare brands also provided the Royal Navy, such as Jacques Bianchi.
Who is Jacques Bianchi?
Jacques Bianchi is above all a famous independent watchmaker with a workshop in Marseille, he is a leading figure in the watchmaking of the Phocaean city. He obviously works a lot on the repair/overhaul/restoration of watches but not only.
This colorful character knew, supplied or repaired watches for famous sailors such as Commander Cousteau or the freediver Jacques Mayol. He also designed some prototypes and watches for the French Navy including the JB 200, which we will talk about today.
Here is the original model that was used in the French Navy, I had the opportunity to handle it and we can already see that the reissue is very close to the old model from the 1980s – Source: Jacques Bianchi
In 1982, the French Navy based in Toulon orders several batches of the JB 200 to equip some of its units such as the Diving School among others or for certain members of the Mine Clearance Divers Group or helicopter divers.
Illustration in image, this is an extract from the archives of the Arsenal of Toulon. Among the Tudor among others, we see the Bianchi reference.
The crucial importance of good storytelling
I can tell you that after reading press releases or reviewing watch brand websites, the level of content is limited. The quality is often low and you will often find the same keywords or clichés like "iconic watch", "timeless", "brand DNA". Let me be clear: this is gibberish that means absolutely nothing, these terms have been emptied of all their substance.
The real problem for many brands is the background work and research that is often missing. And yet… This is perhaps the most essential point of good communication. Most brands have great interesting stories to tell.
Should we want to make the effort to know them and also to know how to tell them and to have – wisely – preserved our archives instead of sending them to the dump because the company wanted to make a few small savings in the management of its stocks. This seems unbelievable but it is the reality of many brands and even among the most prestigious, particularly in the 80s and 90s at the time when there was a big clean-up with the scrapping of many archives. The observation is clear: some brands shot themselves in the foot to save money. A disgrace.
Also, it is rare to see good storytelling, which relies on research work to provide concrete proof that such a watch was really a military endowment for example. The case of Jacques Bianchi is one of the exceptions to the rule and I salute the effort that was made by the project leaders. Many brands should take a leaf out of their book.
In terms of historical legitimacy, this diving watch passes the test with flying colors. If the Jacques Bianchi of the 80s, and also of the 90s, saw the wrists of the sailors of the French Navy, the end of military endowments also led to the end of many watches designed for the French Army – a point that we discussed in the article dedicated to military watches .
If JB watches were eclipsed for years, the workshop continued to operate and Jacques Bianchi, at 80 years old, continues to repair watches. Until the day when a revival project arrived with a triple collaboration and a launch on Kickstarter. And on this point, I must make an aside.
Kickstarter and watches
Although it's a phenomenon that I observe very closely to detect some future success stories, I have always been a little reluctant to review watches launched on Kickstarter and for a reason that is part of my testing approach.
My commitment has always been to review watches that I would recommend to my own friends because I sincerely believe in the qualities of the models presented. My test protocol remains unchanged: test for a minimum of 10 days of a finalized model. In other words, the version marketed to the general public OR a finalized version which may be a pre-series which just precedes the commercial launch.
Why? Because I don't think it's realistic to review an unfinished watch. It wouldn't be acceptable to me because how can you recommend a model whose features don't match the version you might buy?
I have seen other Kickstarter projects that only offered prototypes whose defects were not corrected. So why is the Jacques Bianchi an exception in the world of Kickstarters? Because this is a Kickstarter that is not quite like the others: it is a collaboration between an authentic watchmaker who has experience and guarantees quality in the reissue of one of his own watches and actors known for their seriousness, in this case MAT Watches who brought his experience in the field of professional and current watches.
First there were prototypes, then modifications were made and finally a finalized/pre-production version which corresponds to the marketed model. .
That being said, it is with this finalized version that I will now review the JB 200.
From the little swimmer to the big diver
The large diver is the most visible specificity of this JB 200, instead of a simple dial with its indexes and numbers, a large format diver fills the dial with its presence without hindering the reading of the time.
What we immediately notice at first glance at the JB200 is the presence of the large diver on the dial. Of course, other brands offer distinctive signs of this kind but they are first present in the form of an engraving on the case back or by a discreet addition on the dial. Here, the message is clear, this is a watch made for professional divers.
Compared to the old model, the reproduction has been faithful: the large diver is identical on the dial and the indexes are clear, perfectly readable. As such, SuperLuminova - replacing Tritium - has been applied not only to the indexes and hands but also to the marking of the bezel which is unidirectional - normal, it is a diver - with 60 clicks.
The shade chosen for the indexes and markings on the dial and bezel is cream, which gives it a neo-vintage feel that is not too exaggerated compared to other reissues, such as Omega's SM300, whose shades attempt to imitate aged tritium.
The only notable difference on the dial is the absence of the date compared to the original version from the 80s.
Date & no date
The presence of the date on a watch is a practical question, of course, but it can be debated among watch enthusiasts. There will always be those who want the date on their watch on one side and those who do not. The question goes beyond the practical to include that of aesthetics: a date window provides additional information, but there is no guarantee that its insertion on a dial will be a success.
Many watch enthusiasts today prefer a discreet date window by using tone-on-tone, and some even do not want one at all in order to have a more refined dial. In addition, aesthetics can be added to a historical dimension: some vintage watches do not integrate the date, so a faithful reissue may not really need to have one.
My personal opinion on the matter is: it depends. I like the No Date but I can perfectly appreciate the presence of a date window provided that it is well inserted in the dial. I tend to prefer it at 6 o'clock with a clever replacement of the index of this hour. On the contrary, seeing a date window "eat" a small second for example seems very unsightly to me.
Compared to the original, the new JB200 opts for a more refined dial, without the presence of a date window. And I think it's a very good choice
On the vintage version, the JB200 had a date, the white window was rather large and it contrasted with the black dial. My opinion is simple: having handled the original model and the new one, I prefer for this watch the absence of the date which does not seem too necessary on a diving watch. The large diver being already a very distinctive sign, the final choice for the reissue was wise not to include a window on the dial.
The hands are faithful to the original version, so we can clearly recognize the second hand which is of the "syringe" type. They are obviously readable at night or in the depths due to the presence of SuperLuminova.
The Monnin type case for a Destro watch
Monnin and more precisely G. Monnin was a French manufacturer of watch cases and who supplied Swiss or French brands. We could say "Cocorico!" but nothing more normal because France was the other great country of watchmaking with Switzerland with a whole industrial ecosystem very present in Franche-Comté... But that was before the terrible quartz crisis of the 70s and 80s and the process of deindustrialization which led to the disappearance of practically all our historical industrial fabric in watchmaking.
Today, France has almost no more manufacturers of watch cases, dials and even movements, with a few exceptions! and the other was called Nicolas Hayek, the historic boss of the Swatch Group, who played a major role in the safeguarding, optimization and industrial concentration that allowed the sector to be saved in Switzerland.
Monnin cases had distinctive shapes. The original Jacques Bianchi from the 80s had a Monnin case so the collaborative project that led to the revival of this watch obviously gave a big nod by returning to this type of case.
And for my part I find that it is an excellent point because of the originality of the shape of the case and the fact that it is a Destro watch.
A Destro watch with a crown guard that perfectly protects the crown on the left from any shock. The watch is worn here with an Avel & Men carbon fiber bracelet
What is a Destro watch?
As the name suggests, this is a watch traditionally intended for left-handed people who wear it on their right wrist.
But that's not all.
A Destro watch can be used perfectly by a right-handed person on their left wrist. This may raise some eyebrows in the forums but firstly don't pay too much attention to it and secondly there is actually a practical reason that I have experienced myself.
A diver's watch is in the vast majority of cases bulkier than a classic watch, also - you can do the test yourself - a movement of the wrist during a military or simply sporting exercise, you will see that the back of your hand can come into contact with a crown on the right by a simple flexion of your left wrist . On a small diameter watch you shouldn't have too many drawbacks but on 40-42-44mm you'll understand what I mean.
A question of comfort that is coupled with a practical dimension: in a professional setting, the activities of a man in the field have nothing to do with those of an office man, you will certainly be led to inadvertently knock your watch against different elements. You will quickly understand that a crown and a steel edge (of a pipe, a railing, etc.) are generally not compatible and that between the two, it is the crown that risks taking the hit. With a crown on the left on a watch worn on the left wrist, the risk of encountering this type of incident is very minimized.
The only disadvantage of a destro watch for a right-handed person is… changing your little habit of winding your watch .
Instead of using the fingers of your right hand to wind the crown, you can simply use your left hand. For my part, with a Destro, I just position the 12 o'clock of the watch towards me - I take it in reverse in other words - and I continue adjusting with my right hand. It's up to you to see what works best for you.
Technically speaking, we are dealing with a watch with a diameter of 42mm excluding the crown. 42mm is a standard in diving watches. The lugs have been slightly reworked so that the watch fits the vast majority of wrists. When wearing it, the JB200 does not exceed the size of my wrist at all , there is plenty of room.
Besides, the watch does not give me the impression of being 42mm when wearing it: an illustration of the eternal difference between paper data and real feeling.
The work on the case is actually quite fine on a watch in this price range. As you can see in the pictures, the steel is brushed except on the sides of the case where it is polished. We find this type of finish for example on the Tudor Black Bay in steel to name just one example in another range.
The case of the Jacques Bianchi has been reworked several times - I can testify to this for having seen the prototypes - in order to refine the watch which turns out to be much thinner than a Seiko Turtle for example. And the result is there: the case requires a certain thickness - 13.3mm, which is normal for a diver's watch - but the impression of thickness is limited with the lugs and the refined sides of the case.
Here we see the polished steel of the sides as well as the slightly plunging horns. The sides have been refined to visually reduce the thickness of the watch and this is not insignificant, other divers have much more massive sides in comparison.
The crown guard actually encloses the crown, which is thus protected from shocks by several millimeters of steel. Finally, the sapphire crystal chosen is judicious for this watch: it is a flat sapphire crystal instead of a domed crystal. The domed crystal has its charm too, but it adds thickness to a watch and it must be said visually, I think that the flat sapphire crystal was more suited to this watch.
Finally, due to the robust construction of this case, the watch is water resistant to 200 meters so you will have absolutely no problem diving with it. As a civilian or as a professional.
A movement signed Seiko
The big difference from the original watch is the movement that goes from quartz to self-winding mechanical movement. More precisely, the NH35 which is a movement designed and manufactured by Seiko.
In the entry level of mechanical watches, the most common movement is the Miyota which is part of another Japanese group, Citizen, but there are alternatives like the NH35 which is a 24 jewel movement.
Citizen’s Miyota 8215 and Seiko’s NH35 are comparable movements, although the NH35 is more expensive than the Miyota 8215. Both operate at a frequency of 21,600 A/h. In terms of robustness, the two movements are also comparable, with a small bonus point in favor of the NH35 which incorporates the “Magic Lever”. , the latter being able to integrate additional features such as the second stop .
The power reserve is 41 hours with the NH35, which is classic even if of course I tend to prefer more comfortable power reserves but it is very difficult if not impossible for an independent and human-sized brand to obtain movements with power reserves of 70-80 hours for example.
A twister watch
The official strap of the JB 200 is a Tropique – a rubber strap that I reviewed in the article on straps made from technical materials – it seems to me to be of respectable quality. . It also has a quick pump system that allows you to change the strap very easily without tools.
This strap is totally in line with the history of this watch model. However, when wearing it, I clearly preferred to change straps to opt for a series of Natos/G10 which immediately give a look that seems more attractive to me.
Like a Bond-type G10 found at Timefactors which is comfortable, affordable and holds up pretty well over time.
The lug width of the JB 200 is 20mm, the most common lug width in the sector so it will be very easy to find all the straps you could want in this dimension. I would recommend a simple gray Nato strap of the seat belt type as an entry-level or a two-piece strap from Avel & Men for example for a more advanced twist that combines carbon fiber and leather.
And in terms of looks?
Rule number 1 with this watch: enjoy your vacation with it without worrying too much about micro-scratches, this watch is made for the field. I would recommend wearing it on a beach as well or like me with a denim or chambray shirt.
I would recommend more the workwear inspired looks because we are clearly in the theme of the tool watch with the robust construction of this Jacques Bianchi not to mention its history with the French Navy.
One last one with a gray G10 of the Seat Belt type: gray is an ultra-simple shade to match with its look and for my part I fully validate the choice of this shade for this watch
We like
- An excellent idea for collaboration and the return of a watch that served in the French Navy in the past!
- A Destro watch with a cleverly reworked case : the Destro watch has a place of its own in the history of divers and it benefits from careful work to give it a slightly more refined appearance, not to mention the choice of steel alternating between polishing and brushing.
- A dial that displays a large diver , faithful to that of the past, and which clearly changes from the dials of classic divers in the sector
- A very reasonable and well-considered price for the launch of this watch
- The choice of No Date and the switch to mechanical movement : the project leaders avoided copy-paste and added extras just where they were needed.
- Perhaps one of the best Kickstarters of the moment : I have no doubt about its success, in substance and in form, the project seems very well managed to me, an example to follow and not only in comparison to other Kickstarters
We like less
- A classic 41-hour power reserve, it's hard to do better in this price range
- A “Tropique” rubber strap that is faithful to the era and the spirit of the watch, but I will not hesitate to recommend alternatives for around ten euros more to give the watch a twist.
Technical characteristics
- Reference: JB 200
- 42mm diameter
- Thickness: 13.3mm
- Brushed and polished steel case
- Screw-down crown
- Flat sapphire glass
- Seiko NH 35 self-winding mechanical movement
- 41 hours power reserve
- Waterproof 200m
- Price: 594 euros on Kickstarter, 990 euros thereafter
