The Jacques Bianchi JB300 Military Diver Re-Model

Jacques Bianchi is a French watchmaker based in Marseille. He’s been throughout the enterprise for over 5 a few years, working with the French navy and names like Jacques Cousteau. A notable piece was the JB300 diver from the Nineties, produced in a whole run of 1,000 for the French Navy’s combat divers. The model new JB300 isn’t a exact duplicate, nonetheless it does seize the ethos of the distinctive and follows the JB200 from 2021. It’s a no-nonsense software program watch that does exactly what knowledgeable diver needs with out fancy or superfluous choices. A navy dive watch for civilians, merely the easiest way we desire it (and an accessible one, too).

The brushed stainless-steel case of the Jacques Bianchi JB300 has an elongated tonneau kind and is 42mm in diameter (based on the bezel) and 12.7mm in high. It’s not a small watch and a bit heavy on the wrist, nevertheless the lug-to-lug is barely 45mm with a “barely there” 20mm lug width, so it feels significantly compact. And by “barely there,” I suggest you gained’t have the power to match many NATO straps between the spring bars and case – it’s that tight. A slim one should match, though, and a single-layer Perlon strap is included throughout the discipline.

The 60-click rotating bezel is dedicated to the distinctive, with very distinguished enamel for a secure grip with gloves and a black aluminium insert. It has an in depth 60-minute scale and a lumed pearl at 12 o’clock. Rotating movement lacks the refinement of dearer examples, nonetheless it undoubtedly will get the job (successfully) executed for the price, and the extraordinarily audible click on on has its private instrument-like attraction.

The right case aspect of the JB300 flows into an built-in crown guard and there’s enough kind to forestall a generic vibe. The screw-down crown is a bit finicky and shall be troublesome to look out the threads and place to set the date/time. Our evaluation unit is a prototype, nonetheless, so this might probably be rectified on retail watches. There’s a flat sapphire crystal and powerful caseback, and water resistance (as a result of the establish suggests) is 300 metres. Larger than sufficient!

The matte black Maxi Dial has outsized Large-LumiNova indices with tan lume resembling tritium from early JB300 navy dials. Crimson Arabic numerals sit merely contained within the indices for navy time, whereas the hour and arrowhead minute fingers have matching lume inserts. The seconds hand has an rectangular lume aperture as successfully. A white date window sits at 3 o’clock, which is true to the distinctive model, although I personally would possibly’ve executed with out it. It breaks up the symmetry just a bit and removes the three o’clock index. Moreover, the crystal is a bit reflective at situations, nevertheless the unit is as soon as extra a prototype. It’s a very purposeful dial, and the maxi indexes add a cool vibe.

Powering the model new Jacques Bianchi JB300 is the Soprod P024 automated, which is a direct completely different to the ETA 2824 seen throughout the Nineties fashions. It has 25 jewels, beats at 28,800vph (4Hz) and comes with a 38-hour vitality reserve. Capabilities embody central hours, minutes, hacking seconds and date. Each factor you need, nothing you don’t – that’s the theme of this piece.

The Jacques Bianchi JB300 Military Diver Re-Model comes with two straps – black tropic rubber and period-correct black Perlon, as seen on the originals. A steel bracelet may be accessible for a further EUR 100. You get all of this for lower than EUR 741 (excl. VAT) or EUR 890 (incl. VAT), which is an outstanding worth for a storied, pro-level diver with navy roots and a Swiss automated. It’s restricted to the entire amount ordered in the middle of the pre-order interval, which started on November 20^th and runs for 15 days. Deliveries are scheduled for February 2025.