AM3 50th Anniversary Shelby Cobra Edition
March LA.B and vintage design
March LA.B watches have finally arrived in Switzerland and will be sold exclusively in Geneva’s Old Town. An opening was scheduled at Bijouterie Grégoire on Rue Etienne-Dumont.
By Michele Caracciolo
On the evening of November 7 2013, March LA.B watches made their Swiss debut in the Bijouterie Grégoire. This jewellery store with the flair of an art gallery showcased the watches in style as true works of art. Alan Marhic and Jerôme Mage are March LA.B’s CEO and Creative Director, respectively, are the two friendly and bold founders of this newbie in the watch business. In a relaxed atmosphere, and with glass in hand, they expounded on their collection inspired by American racing cars from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. They worked together with Carroll Shelby, designer of the Ford Mustang and the Shelby AC Cobra – the other great American car legend – to produce two limited editions of watches.
They timed it perfectly to coincide with Shelby American’s 50th anniversary, which was celebrated with a 50-car limited edition of the legendary Cobra. March LA.B marked the occasion by designing a watch for this historical automobile brand, which they, too, limited to 50 pieces.
Self-declared iconic design
All March LA.B timepieces follow a minimalistic and refined code, best expressed as elegant vintage. They are careful in their search for materials and combinations of shades. Their cases mix and match various shapes, cushions, 1980s-style roundness, squarish middles with a definite retro look. Green and black are the brand’s official colours. As for its straps, March LA.B has hired experienced tanners, who make use of a wide range of leathers. During the evening the origin of the brand’s name was also revealed, finally: “March” refers to the month in which both founders were born. “LA” and “B” stand for Los Angeles and Biarritz - their respective birthplaces. These two globally renowned cities represent the brand's identity. And the brand’s spirit will always shuttle between them, even if the logo on the dial remains extremely discreet.
The Gold Electric model combines a golden case with a black leather strap and a green dial. The very elegant combination of gold and green in the Gold Electric Mesh exudes the bonds with the era that inspired it. The same goes for its golden meshed strap with its delightfully quaint air. The shape of the case and the visual design of the dials reveal explicit allusions to the best of the Soviet watchmaking tradition. There are other models, too, like the Sterling Electric, with its superb square chromium-plated case, which comes in two versions. The first one has a blue dial with either a brown or a black perforated leather strap. The second one, the Black Electric, has the same chromium-plated, square case, but with a perforated black leather strap and a black dial. There is another common feature to them all: the time-setting crown situated at 4 o’clock.
Geneva and Paris, the first March LA.B watches hubs
March LA.B offers two lines of products differentiated by drive and calibre: quartz and automatics. All movements are Swiss, however. The quartz watches run on a Ronda movement, whereas the self-winders use the ETA 2892-A. The brand’s goal to remain accessible whilst still being trendy is reflected in their reasonable prices positioning, which, however, also allow for a full two-year guarantee.
The green-tinted glass at the back of the self-winding timepieces lets the user observe the mechanism and its famous personalised rotor. So far only the collection presented has been mostly masculine, though a women’s collection does exist. March LA.B also designed pocket watches with two buckles which are, unfortunately, driven by a quartz movement. This accounts for their low price. In Switzerland, the brand will be sold exclusively at Bijouterie Grégoire at 8 Rue Etienne-Dumont in Geneva; other than that, March LA.B has already opened a store in Paris, at 50 Rue Charlot.
