March LA.B’s AM2 Slim has been given the VIP treatment for the brand’s 2025 annual limited edition, an all-titanium GMT watch released to mark the month the brand was founded. But is 2025 a good vintage?
For a brief history of the brand, see my first review.
AM2 Slim GMT Titanium Millésime Mars 2025 Overview
The idiosyncratic and instantly recognisable AM2 is March LA.B’s most enduring case design and the one they are best known for. Notable for using bold, angular shapes, the brand’s signature ‘Green Line’ colour, distinctive indices, 4 o’clock crowns, seventies typography and smatterings of the design pattern taken from the ‘M’ logo.
The AM2 optimises the house philosophy ‘to be as French as possible, as far as possible’ and every year since 2020 March LA.B has released an ultra-limited Millésimée Mars edition to mark the brands founding month, March. The new 2025 edition retains the colour palate and titanium from the 2024 edition but utilises La Joux Perret’s automatic GMT movement and adds new textures, layers and dial elements to the mix. It’s also truly limited with only 133 units being available, a refreshing change to limited editions from other brands that can run into thousands of units. The retail price is €2595 (approx. £2150 at time of publication*) and the warranty period is two years from date of purchase. On paper at least then, the Millésime Mars 2025 has got the makings of the best iteration of the AM2 yet!
The Case and Wearing Experience
The grade-five titanium case is just 35mm wide with a 46mm lug-to-lug length including the fixed end links. The lug-to-lug length excluding the end links is even less at 41mm. I think it was a great decision to use this case size as it wears slightly bigger, something typical of all square watches. Keeping it modest means that it’s a pretty universal case size, so doesn’t limit the audience. Of course, due to the added GMT functionality the case thickness has increased to 12.5mm, up 1mm over the three-hand version, so relatively speaking it has more presence. Having said that, with it being crafted from titanium it’s a featherweight at just 82 grammes and it’s so comfortable you barely know you’re wearing it. Excluding the thickness, the dimensions are virtually identical to the ever-popular Cartier Santos Medium, so it’s certainly in good company.
Angles and curves cleverly combine to give the watch a retro-modern look with a healthy dash of 70s style. Working from dial side to rear, the slightly domed sapphire crystal with three layers of anti-reflective coating rises above the case and has curved edges creating a beautiful halo around the brushed bezel, adding to the visual appeal and bringing a real charm.
Moving to the mid-case, there are six substantial polished facets dial-side cut at approx. 45-degree angles with the surfaces between the lugs being vertically brushed. The sides of the case are given a horizontal satin-brushed finish and flow beautifully in one continuous curve which thins towards the lugs, broken only by sharp angles around the crown. The underside of the mid-case is polished, gently contoured and cut away to a shallow angle, which helps the watch look slimmer on the wrist. The mix of curves and angles on the case is really beautiful. The solid titanium caseback is longitudinally brushed with a polished perimeter, secured by four screws, and engraved with model details and the brand’s ‘M’ logo at the centre.
March LA.B ‘s signature 4 o’clock crown has a diameter of 6mm and is extremely grippy, thanks to the unique and attractive knurling pattern. The brand’s logo makes another appearance on the face of the crown. Unlike typical four o’clock crowns, such as those found on Seiko watches which are typically recessed into the case, the AM2’s crown sits proudly out on a limb, a typically quirky move, but one that does make it incredibly easy to use. The action on the crown is good with confident clicks between each setting and a good screw-down. However, when unscrewing the crown on my review watch, I had to pull it out to its first position, rather than it ‘popping-out’ under the pressure of the spring, like usually happens. Water resistance is a healthy 100 metres, more than adequate for this type of watch.
The matching H-link bracelet is again made entirely of grade 5 titanium, which has been given a satin-brushed finish. The finishing is superb with polished facets that run along the edge of every link, as well as to the top and bottom of each H-link and connecting link. The bracelet is very fluid and comfortable against the wrist and together with the faceting, certainly adds to the premium feel. The bracelet tapers from 20mm down to 18mm at the clasp. End links attach to the watch head via quick-release spring bars (dubbed the ‘presto’ system by March LA.B), but don’t articulate. However, because of the extreme downturned angle, this doesn’t really increase the true lug-to-lug measurement. I had some issues with the quick-release spring bars not locking in on my review watch, but it was a prototype and I’ve also notified March LA.B of my concerns so I wouldn’t expect production models to have any issues. As with all AM2’s, links are secured by double-sided screws, which makes resizing a frustrating task and one which you wouldn’t want to do too often.
The tiny jewellery-style bracelet clasp is discrete and looks great but sadly doesn’t get my seal of approval. Whilst comfortable, this type of clasp has no place on a watch in my humble opinion. You have to feed the clasp through the open link on the opposite side of the bracelet and then fold it back on itself. It’s very difficult to use and non-captive, so dexterity is needed and fastening and unfastening become a fear-inducing task and it’s one that’s best done over a soft surface, just in case! There is also no micro-adjustment. I’m not sure why March LA.B doesn’t just use a double fold-over deployant clasp (such as that found on the MAEN Manhattan) which would offer better functionality, whilst still looking elegant and discrete. However, it’s easy to swap the bracelet out for another strap should you wish, thanks to the standard 20mm lug width.
Fastening frustrations aside, the titanium case and bracelet, both of which have an anti-fingerprint treatment applied, are very well executed, comfortable and attractive.
The Movement
The AM2 Millésimée Mars edition houses the highest-grade soignée version of the G110 a modern Swiss-made automatic GMT movement from La Joux-Perret. Machined in Switzerland and assembled at March LA.B’s workshop in Besançon, France, this 24-jewel movement is an admirable choice over the more typical Sellita SW330 as it offers more power reserve (68 hours as opposed to 56 hours). March LA.B regulates the movement in-house to six positions and claims accuracy of between – 4 and + 6 seconds per day, which is impressive and within COSC (although to keep costs down it’s not certified COSC). Whilst not as tried and tested as the Sellita, it should prove to be very reliable and is backed by Citizen, a company with an exemplary track record. As this movement is a ‘caller/office’ GMT rather than a ‘true’ GMT, it’s the GMT hand that jumps forward or backward in hourly increments rather than the main hour hand. The good thing about this type of GMT though is that you still retain a quick-set date. You can hack the movement to stop the seconds hand for precise setting of the time, and the beat rate is 28,800 bph (4Hz) which gives a nice smooth glide to the seconds hand. Decoration includes cote de Geneva stripes, bevelled angles and perforated March LA.B ‘M’ lines on the oscillating rotor. It’s worth noting however that the rotor noise is considerable on this movement.
The Dial
The square dial is largely monochrome, but the triple-layer composition brings depth, and contrast is given a boost thanks to the different textures at play and green accents.
Distinctive baton-shaped applied indices sit atop the horizontally-brushed base layer and bring yet more depth due to their considerable height. They are straight-cut to each end, with a deep groove down the middle painted black, and have high-polished facets to the longitudinal edges. The indices on the top and bottom planes are rotated horizontally, adding to the 70s vibe. Outside of the hour markers, but on the same layer, there is a printed minute track comprising white and black hash marks. Outside of this on another layer sits the raised, printed 24-hour GMT track/rehaut split horizontally in two, with the top half coloured black to indicate night and the bottom half white to indicate day. Even hours are numbered, whilst the odd hours are marked with batons.
The matt grey centre section of the dial is raised and decorated with a diamond guilloché pattern with bevelled edges. The corners are cut at a 45-degree angle and there is a partial cut-out at 6 o’clock to make way for the encroaching white-on-black date window. The date window has a bevelled frame and in true March LA.B fashion the date turns green on the 3rd of each month, a nod to the founding month.
Dial text is kept simple. There is an applied silver pictorial ‘M’ logo at 12 o’clock and March LA.B is printed in black beneath. Under the pinion ‘GMT’ is printed in green, and ‘Titanium’ is printed in black. Finally, ‘Made in France’ is printed in black on the 24-hour GMT track at the 6 o’clock.
The hour and minute hands are fork-shaped for an optimum readability and feature a centre strip filled with an unspecified luminescent compound, which is very weak and hardly glows at all. The GMT hand has a lovely perforated arrowhead accented in green, and the seconds hand is a simple needle shape and not lumed.
Overall legibility is very good for a largely monochrome watch, thanks to the faceted hour markers, hand design, layered dial and mix of textures.
Final Thoughts
The 70s-inspired Millésime Mars 2025 is a great looking watch and a worthwhile addition to the AM2 lineup, especially for those who love the exclusivity that a truly limited edition brings. I’d say it’s my personal favourite amongst the AM2 range, so in my eyes it is indeed the best AM2 to date. However, it’s certainly not without negatives. Just like all other AM2s before it, the awkward bracelet clasp with no micro-adjust and double-sided screws for bracelet links are a constant frustration for me and something I really wish March LA.B would address, or at least offer an alternative. Another minor criticism is the packaging which doesn’t feel like its befitting of a watch at this price. The watch is hidden from sight when you open the case which doesn’t set a good impression, and you have to rather unceremoniously force the watch back into the very tight pocket of its case to pack it away. Also the zip pull is poorly designed, meaning it’s always skewed, which makes it tricky to unzip. Other than that, the only other slight negative to point out for our readers is the rotor noise. It’s not something that would bother me, but if you have an aversion to loud rotors, this watch might not be for you.
Overall though, the positives outweigh the negatives by a country mile on this watch, especially if you already love the AM2 styling. For an asking price of €2595/£2150, you get the AM2s distinctive style and outstanding case. Other signature March LA.B design cues such as the patterned dial and crown, and bold indices are also very cool. The Millésime Mars 2025 limited edition adds to the already considerable appeal by offering the perfect blend of elements. The small edition size brings exclusivity. The well-proportioned tough titanium case and bracelet provides comfort and lightness. A premium Swiss automatic GMT movement brings every traveller’s favourite complication to the table. Water resistance is good, the finishing is superb, and (for me at least) the Millésime Mars 2025 has the best dial to date. Monochrome colour palettes can sometimes be at risk of being boring, but that’s definitely not the case here. The textures, colour accents, bold indices and dial layers really elevate this watch, bringing lots of light play and interest.
If like me, you’re in love with the Millésime Mars 2025, I’d strongly suggest you head over to the March LA.B website sharpish before it sells out!
*Currency calculated using xe.com as of 25 February 2025)
