Introducing: The Jacques Bianchi JB200 Posidonie — A Limited-Edition Dive Watch Inspired By “Neptune’s Herbs”
What comes after black and blue? Indeed, green. That’s the way of the watch world. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Take the new Jacques Bianchi JB200 Posidonie for instance. Three years after the launch of the Marseille-based brand’s black JB200 Grand Diver and one year after the blue JB200 Poulpro comes a dive watch with a green shade inspired by Mediterranean Posidonia oceanica, aka “Neptune’s herbs.” And at Jacques Bianchi, they do “smoke the herb” because inside this 150-piece limited edition is a fumé dial.
Since reading the press release for the new Jacques Bianchi JB200 Posidonie, I’ve had the 311 (and originally Human Rights) song “Who’s Got the Herb?” stuck in my head. I guess that’s what happens when I read about Posidonia, a type of seagrass also called “Neptune’s herbs.” Anyway, the new Jacques Bianchi JB200 Posidonie is here, and it’s not only green but also a “destro.”
Introducing the Jacques Bianchi JB200 Posidonie
If you want to find out more about the Jacques Bianchi Marseille watchmaking house, please check out RJ’s article about the original reissue of the JB200 in 2021 right here. It’s about a quartz dive watch from 1982 that the French Navy later ordered and issued to its combat divers. It’s definitely worth a read. And while you’re in research or catch-up mode, please also take a look at Nacho’s article about the JB200 Poulpro, the bleu — sorry, “blue” — dive watch with an octopus on the dial.
This time, no octopus is hiding among the Posidonia. Instead, the JB200 Posidonie has a very en-vogue smoked dial that goes from green to black. The color of the dial is reminiscent of the hues of the Mediterranean and Posidonia meadows where various marine species, including octopuses, find a place to live.
It’s a lefty’s watch
The basis is a 42 × 13.3mm 316L stainless steel case with a 47mm lug-to-lug length. The case is water resistant to 200 meters and is outfitted with sapphire glass over the dial and a crown at 9 o’clock protected by squared-off guards. There’s also a 60-click unidirectional bezel with a green anodized aluminum insert showing a fully graduated 60-minute diving scale in Super-LumiNova. As you’d expect of a dive watch, the case has a screw-in stainless steel back and a screw-down crown. These are solid features that get the job done. Inside the case beats a Swiss-made automatic Soprod P024 movement, a clone of the ETA 2824-2.
The natural habitat of the JB200 Posidonie
Jacques Bianchi went for the full-green look. That means pairing the dark green dial and bezel with a Tropic-style rubber strap in a similar (albeit lighter) hue. The “after black and blue comes green” rule also applies to Jacques Bianchi, but there’s a little more to it than just watch-world automatism. Simo Tber, the brand’s CEO, explains the use of color in the press release: “The goal now is to build a true collection that consistently aligns with the Mediterranean theme while maintaining coherence, legitimacy, and eco-responsibility.” Next time we have the opportunity, we’ll dive a little deeper into the subject (and the Mediterranean) to find out more about the watches, their origin, and their natural habitat.
The Jacques Bianchi JB200 Posidonie becomes available for pre-order today in a limited run of 150 pieces. The price of this dive watch is €1,079 before taxes. For more information, please visit the brand’s official website.
