Although March LA.B is now headquartered in Paris, the independent watch brand was originally born in the Basque Country in 2009. Located in the western Pyrenees along the border between France and Spain, the Basque Country (or “Euskal Herria” in its native language) is an autonomous community that was granted the status of nationality by the Spanish Constitution of 1978, and the Basque people speak Euskera, which is widely considered to be Europe’s oldest living language. For its latest release of 2025, March LA.B is paying tribute to its heritage with a timepiece that features a calendar disc in French and Euskera, and the new March LA.B Euskal AM2 Electric is the first watch to incorporate the unique Basque language.

In terms of its fundamental construction and functionality, the March LA.B Euskal AM2 Electric is essentially a Basque-themed version of the brand’s existing AM2 Electric watch, which March LA.B currently offers in several different colorways as the entry-level quartz model within its greater AM2 collection. Crafted from 316L stainless steel with contrasting brushed and polished surfaces, the angular TV-style case of the Euskal AM2 Electric offers the same distinct profile that characterizes other models from March LA.B’s AM2 series such as the AM2 GMT or AM2 Slim, and it measures 39mm in diameter by 12.5mm thick, with its rectangular silhouette extending to form 22mm lugs that are fitted with a Taurillon leather strap tanned by Remy Carriat in the Basque province of Espelette, France.

Just like other AM2 watches, the March LA.B Euskal AM2 Electric prominently features its signed crown at 4 o’clock, and the model offers the same 100 meters of water resistance that can be found throughout the rest of the AM2 collection. However, unlike more premium models from the series that use sapphire for their crystals, the beveled crystal on the Euskal AM2 Electric is made from K1 mineral glass with anti-reflective treatment. Similarly, while the automatic AM2 models receive display casebacks to showcase their movements, the reverse side of the Euskal AM2 Electric is fitted with a solid screw-on caseback that is adorned with an engraving of the Basque flag and the words “Euskal Herria” (which translates to “the land of the Basque people” in the native Basque language of Euskera).

Unlike March LA.B’s standard AM2 Electric watches that are fitted with neutral or cold-colored dials, the Euskal AM2 Electric receives a dark red dial, which visually sets it apart from its siblings within the collection. The overall design and layout of the dial is more-or-less the same as what you get from other AM2 Electric watches, and it features applied baton-shaped hour markers, a framed day/date window at 3 o’clock, and a set of centrally-mounted hands with split “tuning fork” style tips. Similar to other AM2 Electric models, dial text has been kept to a minimum, and aside from featuring March LA.B’s logo, the only other text that appears on the dial are the words “Euskal Herria” printed in small white letters above the 6 o’clock marker.

Powering the March LA.B Euskal AM2 Electric is the Swiss Ronda 517 quartz movement, which runs on a single 371 power cell with a battery life of approximately four years. The Ronda 517 naturally includes a dual-language calendar disc for its day display; however, the Euskal AM2 Electric offers both French and Euskera abbreviations for the days of the week, which represents the first time that the Basque language has been featured on a wristwatch. While displaying the full names of each day would have been a better way to showcase the Euskera language, adapting the Basque day names to this popular three-letter format arguably represents a more important step for the language within the context of the watchmaking and the day complication itself.

In addition to the 2.2 million people living within the Basque Country in Europe, Basque is also an ethnic group with its own unique culture, are there many individuals of Basque descent living all around the world. The Euskal AM2 Electric celebrates March LA.B’s heritage and a unique aspect of the brand’s early history, although it is somewhat surprising that Europe’s oldest living language hasn’t previously made an appearance on a wristwatch. With an official retail price of $704 USD, the March LA.B Euskal AM2 Electric costs slightly more than one of the brand’s standard AM2 Electric models (which I imagine is largely due to its custom Basque calendar disc), and I personally find it rather refreshing that March LA.B has decided to celebrate its birthplace with one of its most accessible models. For more information on the March LA.B Euskal AM2 Electric watch, please visit the brand’s website.