The New March LA.B AM2 GMT Grall Edition

March LA.B is an eclectic French brand founded in 2008 by three friends who are passionate about surfing and 1970s retro design. CEO Alain Marhic came to the table with his experience at Quicksilver Surf and creative director Jérôme Mage with his very own JMM eyewear brand. With a portfolio of shaped watches, surf-inspired watches, wetsuits, eyewear and even Schwinn bikes, March LA.B might seem more like a lifestyle brand. However, this is somewhat misleading because the watches are well-made with plenty of idiosyncratic details that make them original. The latest AM2 GMT model is a bold, shaped watch with a powerful 1970s vibe and a dual-time complication courtesy of La Joux-Perret.

With Mage based in Los Angeles and Marhic in Biarritz (hence the LA.B acronym in the brand name), the new AM2 GMT provides a natural bridge between the two famous surfing destinations with their 9-hour time difference. The case selected for the GMT is the distinctive octagonal case of the AM2 family, itself a derivation of the dressier Mansart models we covered in 2019. Embracing a distinctive 1970s flair, the case is angular, extroverted and original.

Measuring 39mm across and 12.5mm thick (not specifically thin, but it feels thinner on the wrist than the numbers suggest), the eight-sided stainless steel case is composed of radically sloping facets, six of which are polished for extra drama. The sharp angular lugs that embrace the 3-link bracelet have a pronounced depression in their centre, visually accentuating the height of the case. The vertically brushed areas on the thin sloping bezel and the depression between the lugs are continued on the angular steel H-link bracelet with its quick-release bars – so you can easily switch it for a rubber strap.

Interrupting the powerful geometry is a protrusion on the case at 4 o’clock to accommodate the large hand-engraved crown, a distinctive feature of March LA.B watches. A close-up inspection of the crown reveals the same pattern featured on the brand’s applied “M” logo at noon. Coupled with the screw-down caseback, the screw-down crown ensures the 100m depth rating of the case. The dial is protected by a domed sapphire crystal, rising slightly above the confines of the bezel.

Surrounded by its fortress-like walls, the plunging dial has a two-tone, 24-hour sloping flange for the GMT function. Using a brushed silver area for daytime hours and green for night, the 24-hour track is indicated by a fourth central hand with a bright green perforated arrow at its tip. The green colour also appears on the GMT inscription on the dial, and the brand’s lucky numeral 3 that pops up once a month in the framed rectangular date window at 6 o’clock.

The central area of the dial is green with a textured crosshatch pattern and surrounded by a chapter ring with the brand’s signature hour markers. Composed of polished steel bars, the indices appear horizontally at 11, 1, 5 and 7 o’clock. Another hallmark feature is the fork-shaped hour and minute hands with open-ended tips that look like tuning forks – the only elements on the dial with luminescence. Completing the scenery is a central seconds hand with a blunt tip.

As a brand that is proud of its French heritage and bears the Made in France inscription on the dial, the Swiss movement is assembled in France. For the GMT model, the brand’s G100 La Joux-Perret automatic movement has been modified by LJP to include a 24-hour hand (G110). Unlike a traveller’s GMT function, where the local hour hand can be adjusted independently, this is an office or caller GMT with an independently adjustable 24-hour hand. If you are interested in the differences between the two, don’t miss Brice’s in-depth coverage. Turning the watch over reveals a surprising green porthole with a view of the openworked rotor, balance wheel and other components. The La Joux-Perret G110 calibre operates at 28,000vph and delivers a robust 68-hour power reserve.

The green model you can see here is presented in tandem with the limited edition AM2 Shades in black DLC and the AM2 GMT Black. The green AM2 GMT Grall Edition with a steel bracelet retails for USD 2,045 (excl. tax). If you choose the new silicone strap, the price is USD 1,850 (excl. tax).

For more information and orders, please visit march-lab.com.