Introducing: Furlan Marri Revives The Disco Volante
What We Know
For the last few years, Furlan Marri has been a darling for collectors with an eye toward vintage-inspired releases at affordable prices. Leave it to them to revive a design popular from the late 1930s to 1980s that has long been overlooked by most modern brands: the “Disco Volante.” Italian for “flying saucer,” this hidden lug design was an icon for its sleek, round case. This time, the watch has been updated to a more modern 38mm size with new dial designs to bring the futuristic design into the 21st Century.
The watch comes in three colors: Havana (salmon and brown), Celeste (shades of blue and white), and Verde (green and cream). All of these dials have four-part dials with semi-sector designs, with applied hour markers at 12, 3, and 9 o’clock, double-printed indicators, and text, and a subdial displaying the small seconds at 6 o’clock. The exterior minute track is labeled at five-minute intervals, giving the watch a bit sportier look. That sportiness is accentuated further by luminous hands and rings surrounding the dial sectors and subdial.
The lugs are tucked under the case, and each watch comes with two straps with curved end links to sit tightly hidden against the case. The crown is also tucked away in the case band. The case is stepped into two distinct segments, an interesting and bolder case on what sometimes was a very flat design. Inside the case is a manually-wound Peseux 7001 movement, an ultra-thin caliber that helps keep the watch 8.95mm in total thickness. That movement is visible through the display caseback, and Furlan Marri has given it some extra attention. The brand has redesigned the bridges, incorporating hand-finished, diamond-polished edges and a crown wheel and screws that are black-polished and chamfered around the stones. All the beveling is done by hand in Geneva under the supervision of Furlan Marri technical manager Sébastien Rousseau.
The watches join Furlan Marri’s mechanical line as permanent collection pieces – not limited editions – with a $2,780 price tag. They’ll be making one batch this year and will make more depending on demand and movement availability. The watches are available today.
What We Think
I certainly am no Disco Volante expert. James Stacey recently had to remind me it’s pronounced “Disco Volant-tay” – if only the French and Italians could agree on what to do with the “e” at the end of words. And while there’s one vintage “Disco Volante” reference I am still actively searching for (which will remain nameless), I’m super excited Furlan Marri hasdecided to bring it back in a new way.
My gut reaction says that if I pick up one of these new models, it would probably be the “Celeste” in the two-tone blue model. It feels the most true to the vintage inspiration. The green, however, might suit vintage collectors who have a true vintage “Disco Volante” (or three) in their collection already. It almost strikes me as a Disco Volante-turned-field watch with the green and yellow hues and super legible dial. That might be a first combining the two design languages, and I dig it.
I’ve handled prototypes of these watches for about 7 months now, off and on, as I’ve seen Furlan Marri develop them, and it really is remarkable how such a young company can maintain such reasonable prices while having fantastic finishing for the price and great attention to detail. The movement might seem like standard fare, a potentially blasé ETA/Peseux hand-wound movement, but Furlan Marri has taken it a step forward with better finishing to their standards. There are other things, like the curved straps to nestle in the hidden lugs or the shaped crown that hides into the side of the case. We’ll likely do a more in-depth look, but for now, I’m impressed.
That’s the thing about Furlan Marri – there’s so much value. People who haven’t handled their mechanical watches might struggle with the price tag, but when you see the watches in person, the level of finishing you get for the money is beyond impressive. I believe the brand could be charging 50 to 75% more and easily still be within the fair value range for the product you get.
The Basics
Brand: Furlan Marri
Model: Disco Volante Havana, Celeste, and Verde
Diameter: 38mm
Thickness: 8.95 mm
Case Material: 316L Stainless Steel
Dial Color: Havana (two-tone dial in brown and salmon hues); Celeste (two-tone dial in green and sand hues); Verde (two-tone dial in blue and silver hues)
Indexes: Double-printed and applied hour-markers
Lume: “Old Radium” or “BGW9” LumiNova inserts
Water Resistance: 50m
Strap/Bracelet: Each watch comes with two vegetable-tanned Italian curved leather straps (in colors specific to the models)
The Movement
Caliber: Peseux 7001
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds
Diameter: 101⁄2 lignes (23.73 mm)
Thickness: 2.50 mm
Power Reserve: 42 hours
Winding: Manual
Frequency: 21,600 vph
Jewels: 17
Chronometer Certified: No
Additional Details: All the bridges have been redesigned by Furlan Marri; Extra finishing including bridges diamond-polished edges, hand-finished beveling, straight-grained flanks, polished around the stones and côtes de Genève; Hand-finished beveling on the balance cock.
Pricing & Availability
Price: $2,780
Availability: Now
Limited Edition: No
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Hodinkee
