For 2024, French watch brand March LA.B released a limited-edition version of its AM2 in titanium and with a brand-new bracelet design. This is a very slick timepiece with some rather uncommon features that give it a lot of welcome personality. I hope that the enthusiast community gives this particular AM2 Titanium watch the attention it deserves because, in a lot of ways, this is a standout timepiece. That said, the pricing for the watch is in strange territory. It costs a bit more than people are often used to from today’s smaller brands, and it costs far less than many of the more popular brand-name watches it intends to compete with.
The AM2 case came early on in the history of the March LA.B brand as a unique-looking non-round watch that was inspired by 1970s decor, car culture, and Americana. I always knew that it would take a while for the community to warm up to its shape, as is the case (pun intended) with most novel shapes and profiles in the realm of timepiece appreciation. The AM2 did not originally come on a bracelet, nor did it come in titanium. This limited-edition AM2 Titanium is among the loveliest versions of the AM2 I’ve seen, and it wears very nicely on its matching titanium bracelet. March LA.B says that the steel version of the AM2 watch (with a bracelet of a different design) weighs 130 grams, whereas this AM2 Titanium (with the bracelet) weighs just 91 grams.
Most important to me is the quality of the grade 5 titanium case and bracelet. The case, especially, has a wonderful high polish (harder to do in titanium), and according to March LA.B, the titanium is given a fingerprint-resistant coating. This coating does work, although it doesn’t totally prevent all fingerprints on the polished surfaces. Such coatings seem to work best on sandblasted and other matte-surface finishings. March LA.B produces a variety of versions of the AM2, including a smaller size, automatic or quartz models, and a variety of colorways. This AM2 Titanium is among the highest-end AM2 models I’ve seen given its use of excellent materials, the movement, and the refined overall design.
Unlike some other March LA.B watches, the AM2 Titanium does not feature a display caseback, but I don’t miss it too much. Inside the watch is a Swiss La Joux-Perret G100 automatic movement, which was purchased as a kit and later assembled in France. That means the watch has a Swiss movement, but isn’t “Swiss Made” given that the final assembly is in France. The G100 is a great movement that is starting to pop up in a lot of watches. It operates at 4Hz with a generous 68 hours of power reserve.
The AM2 Titanium case is an interesting shape that doesn’t have a specific name, although it seems to combine a rectangular and cushion shape. The titanium case is 39mm wide, 11.5mm thick, and water-resistant to 100 meters. Over the dial is a flat AR-coated sapphire crystal, and the crown is positioned at 4 o’clock (for comfort and to be quirky). I’ve always liked the elaborate design of March LA.B crowns. Some of that same pattern is used on the center of the AM2 Titanium dial. Using a lot of depth, and inspired by vintage watches, the AM2 Titanium dial is as interesting as it is sporty. The various levels on the dial add beauty as well as legibility, thanks to the applied geometric hour markers and matching hands. There is a limited amount of luminant material on the dial in the form of thin strips painted on the hands and little applied dots of luminant on the outside of the hour markers on the periphery of the dial. The dial is mostly monochromic, aside from hints of the brand’s green tone for the seconds hand and some dial text. Note the custom-printed March LA.B date indicator disc, which replaces the stock white disc that would come with the G100 movement.
For the bracelet, March LA.B decided to go with something more interesting than just a titanium version of the same bracelet design they offer in steel. The bracelet isn’t per se a replica of anything else on the market, but it does evoke a 1970s Girard-Perregaux Laureato vibe with the use of H-shaped links. The bracelet isn’t super easy to size nor is it particularly easy to put on, but it is very nice-looking and comfortable while you wear it. March LA.B decided to go with double-sided screws for the bracelet, which requires special tools and finesse to size properly.
More quirky is that March LA.B’s decided to go with a vintage-style “jewelry bracelet” closing system for the bracelet. This is something that the majority of today’s watch enthusiasts have probably never experienced, and exceedingly rare feature in today’s watches. In short, before there were safety or locking deployants on watches, there were simple strap-closing systems like this. Aside from a nostalgic benefit, why might you want this type of watch bracelet enclosure on a timepiece today? One major reason is that the simpler closing clasp on the AM2 Titanium’s bracelet means that it wears with a very thin and comfortable profile. That’s certainly true. Another more niche reason would be if you want a watch with a bracelet but want to store it like a watch on a strap. March LA.B gets novelty value out of being an uncommon proponent of these bracelet closing systems, but in general, I prefer folding safety deployants (so the watch doesn’t fall off if the clasp accidentally opens). If anything because they are easier to put on – closing the clasp with one hand on the AM2 Titanium isn’t hard, but it does take some practice and patience to do rapidly.
Even with quirks such as the bracelet enclosure system and original case shape design, the AM2 Titanium is a genuinely cool timepiece. The quality of the titanium case and bracelet is great, and the movement makes it suitable for regular daily wear. The sporty look of the watch, mixed with a high design presence, makes for a timepiece that is easy to appreciate on the wrist, and hard to confuse with anything else on the market. People with strong and assertive personalities who are drawn to the March LA.B design ethos will probably be delighted with this product. Price for the limited edition of 133 pieces March LA.B AM2 Titanium watch is €2,295. Learn more at the March LA.B website.
