March LA.B is a trendy watch company situated in Los Angeles, California and Biarritz, France. The business derives its name from the third month of the year (March) and the LA.B part is an abbreviation for its two headquarters. In 2008 Alain Marhic, Jerome Mage and Joseph Chatel established the company. Together they have pooled their resources to develop an exciting and unique brand. Marhic had a senior position in Quicksilver, Mage worked as a designer for American Eyewear brand Spy and Chatel was previously a financial advisor.
My main contact with March LA.B has been through Alain Marhic. Over the last few months we have had many discussions about the eclectic designs of his watches. His enthusiasm and passion for design is absolutely contagious. All of the company’s timepieces are also relatively affordable. Out of all of their models my favourite has to be the AM1 Shelby Automatic. The marvellous styling of the 1960’s has inspired this wonderful watch. With only a limited release of 30 pieces worldwide this timepiece is highly exclusive.
A couple of weeks ago I was sent a press release announcing the launch of the new AM3 Gold Mesh Electric. Due to its stylish appearance and highly competitive price range I thought it would be a great watch to feature on Total Watch Reviews. Dimensionally all of March LA.B’s creations are small by modern standards. This timepiece is no exception and has a diameter measuring only 38mm. I think this is a conscious move by the company to make their watches more appealing to the unisex market. Earlier this year I reviewed the beautiful Brequet Tradition. This timepiece displays similar proportions and was exceptionally comfortable to wear. On that basis I suspect this watch would be a practical option for everyday usage.
Visually the AM3 Gold Mesh Electric has the appearance of a much more expensive watch. Elements like the gold (PVD coated stainless steel) cushion shaped case and mesh bracelet are reminiscent of vintage watches of the 1960’s and 70’s. I love the green dial punctuated by bold gold indexes. Other striking features include the distinctive hour/minutes, customized date window and decorative crown (located at 4 o’clock). Overall the cool retro composition works well and is highly effective.
Generally March LA.B power their watches with either Swiss mechanical or quartz movements. The AM3 Gold Mesh Electric uses the latter, which is a caliber RONDA 517. Functionally the watch features hours, minutes, seconds and day/date facility. Other specifications include anti-reflective domed sapphire crystal and water resistance to a depth of 100 metres.
The AM3 Gold Mesh Electric is made in France and has a suggested retail price of €535 (approximately $732).
