Summer, at last ! Small personal tradition, during this season, I abandon my classic watches and my dress chronographs: they go into summer
So, during the summer months, what should you replace your classic watch with? A bare wrist? Some bracelets? You must suspect, you know our selections 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 National Navy
In recent years, the theme of the National Navy
One of the most notable examples was the provision of Tudor Submariners for certain Royal units, particularly the marine commandos. However, although regularly promoted, the Tudor Submariners did not benefit from a monopoly. A few rare brands have also endowed the Royale and this was the case of Jacques Bianchi.
Who is Jacques Bianchi?
Jacques Bianchi is above all a famous independent watchmaker with a workshop in Marseille, he is a notable figure in the watchmaking of the Marseille city. He obviously works a lot on the repair/overhaul/restoration of watches, but not only that.
This colorful character knew, supplied or repaired watches for famous sailors such as Commander Cousteau or the free diver Jacques Mayol. He also designed certain prototypes and watches for the French Navy, including the JB 200, which we will talk about today.
Here is the original model which was used as equipment 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
Illustration in image, this is an extract from the archives of the Arsenal of Toulon. In the middle of the Tudors 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 sites, the level of content is limited. The quality is often low and you will often find the same keywords or clichés such as “iconic watch”, “timeless”, “brand DNA”. I will 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 substantive work and research which is often absent. And yet… This is perhaps the most essential point of good communication. Most brands have great, interesting stories to tell.
Should you want to make the effort to know them and also know how to tell them and have – wisely – kept your archives instead of sending them to the landfill because the company wanted to make some small savings in the management of its stocks? This seems improbable but it is the reality of many brands and even among the most prestigious, particularly in the 80s and 90s when there was a major clean-up with the scrapping of numerous archives. The observation is clear: some brands have shot themselves in the foot to make penny-pinching savings. A shame.
Also, it is rare to see good storytelling, which relies on research work to provide concrete proof that a particular 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 note.
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 sailors of the French Navy, the end of military allocations also led to the end of numerous watches designed for the French Army – a point that we have discussed during the article dedicated to military watches .
Although JB watches were overshadowed for years, the workshop continued to operate and Jacques Bianchi, at 80, continues to repair watches. Until the day 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 is 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 myself would recommend to my own friends because I sincerely believe in the qualities of the models presented. My test protocol remains unchanged: test for 10 days minimum
For what ? Because I don't think it's realistic to review an unfinished watch. This would not be acceptable to me because how can you recommend a model whose characteristics do not correspond to the version that you may be purchasing?
I've seen other Kickstarters projects that only offered prototypes with unfixed defects. So why is the Jacques Bianchi an exception in the world of Kickstarters? Because this is a Kickstarter 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 players known for their seriousness, in this case MAT Watches which brought its experience in the field of professional and contemporary watches.
There were prototypes first, 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 great diver
The large diver is the most visible specificity of this JB 200, instead of a simple dial with its indexes and numerals, a large 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 type 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 legible. 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 - normally this is a diver - at 60 clicks.
The shade chosen for the indexes and the markings on the dial and the bezel is cream, which gives it a neo-vintage look which is nevertheless not too exaggerated compared to other reissues, such as the Omega SM300, whose hues attempt to imitate tritium which has aged.
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 certainly a practical question but one that can give rise to debate among watch enthusiasts. There will always be on one side those who want the date on their watch and on the other side those who do not. The question goes beyond the practical field 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 window for the date using tone on tone and even some do not want it at all in order to have a more refined dial. In addition, aesthetics can add a historical dimension: some vintage watches do not include a 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 window for the date provided that it is well inserted in the dial. I then tend to prefer it at 6 o'clock with a clever replacement of the index of this hour. Conversely, seeing a window for the date "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 period 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 to me 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 an aperture on the dial.
The hands are faithful to the original version, so we clearly recognize the seconds 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 who supplied Swiss or French brands. We could say “Karicoco!” » but nothing more normal because France was the other major watchmaking country alongside Switzerland with a whole industrial ecosystem very present in Franche-Comté... But that was before the terrible quartz crisis of the 70s and 80 and the process of deindustrialization which led to the disappearance of practically all of our historical industrial fabric in watchmaking.
Today, France hardly expects to see any more manufacturers of watch cases, dials and even movements with a few exceptions!
Monnin cases had characteristic shapes. The original Jacques Bianchi from the 80s was equipped with a Monnin case, so the collaborative project which led to the revival of this watch obviously made a big nod by returning to this type of case.
And for my part I find that this is an excellent point due to the originality of the shape of the case and the fact that it is a Destro watch.
A Destro watch with a crown protector that perfectly protects the crown on the left from any impact. The watch is worn here with an Avel & Men carbon fiber bracelet
What is a Destro watch?
As its 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 on 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 type watch is in the vast majority of cases bulkier than a classic watch, so – 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
A question of comfort which is coupled with a practical dimension: in a professional context, the activities of a field worker have nothing to do with those of an office worker, you will certainly be led to inadvertently bump your shows against different elements. You will quickly understand that a crown and a steel edge (of a pipe, a guardrail, etc.) are generally not compatible and that between the two, it is the crown which risks taking the blame. his rank. 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-hander is... changing your little habit to wind your watch
Instead of using the fingers of your right hand to wind the crown, simply use your left hand. For my part, with a Destro, I just position the 12 o'clock position of the watch towards me – I hold it in the opposite direction in other words – and I continue to adjust with my right hand. It's up to you to see what suits you best.
Technically speaking, we are dealing with a watch with a diameter of 42mm excluding the crown. The 42mm is a standard in diving watches. The lugs have been slightly reworked so that the watch fits the vast majority of wrists. When worn, the JB200 does not exceed the size of my wrist at all
Moreover, the watch does not at all give me the impression of being 42mm when worn: 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 see in the photos, 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 cite just one example in another range.
The case of the Jacques Bianchi has been reworked several times - I can attest to this 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 – but the impression of thickness is limited with the horns 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 protector actually encompasses the crown which is thus protected from impacts by several millimeters of steel. Finally, the sapphire glass chosen is wise for this watch: it is a flat sapphire glass instead of a curved glass. The curved glass has its charm too but it adds thickness to a watch and it must be said visually, I think that the flat sapphire glass was more suited to this watch.
Ultimately, due to the robust construction of this case, the watch is waterproof 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 compared to the original watch is the movement which goes from quartz to mechanical movement with automatic winding. More precisely, the NH35 which is a movement designed and manufactured by Seiko.
At the entry level of mechanical watches, the most common movement is the Miyota
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 21600 A/h. In terms of robustness, the two movements are also comparable with a small bonus point in favor of the NH35 which integrates the “Magic Lever”
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 watch to twist
The official bracelet of the JB 200 is a Tropique – a rubber bracelet which I reviewed in the article on bracelets made of technical materials – it seems to me to be of honorable quality
This bracelet is totally in line with the history of this watch model. However, when wearing it, I much preferred to change the bracelet 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 lasts quite well over time.
The Lug of the JB 200 is 20mm, the most common Lug in the sector so it will be very easy to find all the bracelets you could want in this dimension. For my part, I would recommend a simple gray Nato seat belt type bracelet at the entry level or a two-piece bracelet 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
I would recommend more the looks inspired by workwear 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.
A little last 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 endorse the choice of this shade for this watch
WE love
- An excellent idea for collaboration and the return of a watch that served in the French Navy in the past!
- A Destro watch with an intelligently reworked case : the Destro watch has a place in its own right 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 polishing and brushing
- A dial which displays a large diver , faithful to that of the past, and which clearly changes from the dials of the classic divers in the sector
- A very fair and well-designed price for the launch of this watch
- The choice of the No Date and the transition to the mechanical movement : the project leaders avoided copying and pasting and they added more just where it was needed
- Perhaps one of the best Kickstarters of the moment : I have no doubt in any way about its success, in substance and in form, the project seems very well run to me, an example to follow and not only in comparison to others Kickstarters
We like less
- A classic power reserve of 41 hours, difficult to do better in this price range
- A “Tropique” rubber strap which is faithful to the era and the spirit of the watch but I will not hesitate to recommend alternatives for around ten extra euros to give the watch a twist.
Technical characteristics
- Reference: JB 200
- 42mm diameter
- Thickness: 13.3mm
- Brushed and polished steel housing
- Screw-down crown
- Flat sapphire crystal
- Seiko NH 35 self-winding mechanical movement
- 41 hours of power reserve
- Waterproof 200m
- Price: 594 euros on Kickstarter, 990 euros thereafter
