Jacques Bianchi Marseille has teamed up with Fratello Watches to create a new iteration of their already popular JB200 PoulPro. The new variant released today is now dubbed the JB200 PoulPro “Night Diver”, due to its new nocturnal layout consisting of a black PVD case and a fully lumed dial, both features being a first for Jacques Bianchi.
Fratello is known for creating high quality and entertaining watch enthusiast content, and more specifically their infatuation with the Speedmaster that started with their founders creation of the #speedytuesday hashtag. Fratello has even collaborated with Omega due to the hashtag’s marketing success, and they’ve since branched out to create watch collaborations with many other watch brands just like this new Jacques Bianchi release.
The JB200 diver was only just reissued in 2021, and it garnered some outstanding success due to demand from vintage watch lovers who were quite fond of the original from the early 1980s. The new “Night Diver” variant seen here is similar in many ways to the reissue, maintaining the 42mm case and 13.3mm thickness, as well as a lug to lug of 47mm.
The JB200 is relatively well proportioned on the wrist, although it does have a slightly heftier appearance when comparing to the benchmark Rolex Submariner 124060 with a 12mm thickness. Much of the fit disadvantage is offset by the rest of the specs, especially the lug to lug measurement which can at times be more important than the actual case size.
The Night Diver also features what’s called a “destro” configuration, essentially meaning the crown has been placed at 9’oclock instead of the usual 3’oclock. This is quite the unorthodox positioning for a crown, and is often favored by lefties who wear their watches on the right wrist. In this case it’s a comfort feature that has been passed down from the original JB200. The left handed side of the crown could also theoretically aid in a smoother diving experience while wearing the watch, with less possibility of snagging on various pieces of equipment, clothes, or anything on the bottom of the sea.
The bezel on the JB200 Night Diver is unidirectional with 60 clicks of adjustment, quite standard for a watch that may actually be used for diving. It’s also fully graduated and has a lumed matte aluminum insert. The dial has a date wheel at 6 o’clock, with its placement chosen specifically to enhance the aesthetic balance of the dial.
It’s also nice to see a rather uncommon movement choice for the watch, that is if compared to something like an ETA. Jacques Bianchi and Fratello have chosen the Swiss SoProd P024, an automatic movement with a frequency of 28,800 VPH and 38 hours of power reserve. The SoProd P024 is often compared to the ETA 2824-2 in function, but is just a touch more exotic and generally the path less chosen for many watch brands.
The JB200 Night Diver will be available for purchase from the Jacques Bianchi Marseille official web store, with a price of 1,162.50 Euros. This will be a limited edition of just 250 pieces, and judging by past releases of the JB200 could sell out quite fast. Jacques Bianchi
