Microbrand Furlan Marri has turned back the clock. Drawing inspiration from vintage references, they are set to debut a brand-new collection!
Vintage and heritage-inspired pieces are beginning to come back in a big way. While the neo-vintage aesthetic is beginning to make a comeback in fashion, the watch world has taken an even larger step back. Every brand from established to micro are reviving the aesthetics of yore with modern technological and design sensibilities. Just look at TAG Heuer with their Glassbox Carrera collection, or Tissot’s recent revival of the PR516.
At first glance, Furlan Marri may seem to be just another microbrand that has followed suit. However, inspiration from the past has been their MO since their 2021 foundation on Kickstarter, strapping them atop a rocket ship to international acclaim with their mecha quartz and mechanical lines. Now, they venture into new territory as they tackle the art deco styling of the disco volante.
Meaning ‘flying saucer’ in Italian, the disco volante design has been prevalent since the 1930s, taking on a retro-futuristic look with the absence of lugs, a small or integrated crown, and a decorated bezel. Pierre Cardin/Jaeger-LeCoultre and Universal Geneve were well-known pioneers of this aesthetic, as were watchmaking’s ‘Big Three’ in Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe & Vacheron Constantin.
The Furlan Marri disco volante collection is a modern reinterpretation of this classic aesthetic. Furlan Marri has remained faithful to the original designs, with a lug-less design, stepped and high-polished bezel, and integrated crown. To cater to modern sizing trends, Furlan Marri has opted to revive this collection in a 38mm case, making it a versatile size that is also unisex. Because the lugs are the same as the diameter of the watch, expect it to wear a lot smaller than you think!
Unlike their vintage counterparts, this new collection has more design elements on the dial. Furlan Marri has divided the dial into four individually cut-out sections; The minute track, the small seconds, the hour indexes, and the dial’s centre are all separate components sharply divided. The new timepiece also comes in a triplicate of dial colours with colour-matched leather straps: Havana (brown/salmon), Verde (green/cream) and Celeste (blue/silver). Personally, I lean towards the Celeste model, but if you’ve read some of my review articles, you know that I’d try this out on a mesh strap the first chance I get.
Powering the disco volante trio is the manually wound ETA/Peseux 7001 movement, beating at 3Hz (21,600 VpH) backed by a 42-hour power reserve. For all you in-house movement snobs out there, I guess you’re out of luck, but much like other ETA calibres, the Peseux 7001 is a proven and reliable movement that remains relatively accessible. It also provides the Furlan Marri with an exceptional thinness at 8.95mm, serving to enhance the wearing experience.
Final Thoughts:
I’ve always said that I greatly appreciate the unspoken international shift in design towards heritage inspiration. There’s so much out there to be inspired by, yet for years it felt like watch brands were trying too hard to reinvent the wheel instead of demonstrating why the industry is such a powerhouse in the first place.
Furlan Marri is different, as they were able to catch lightning in a bottle and run with the heritage inspiration before most other brands were able to catch wind of the changing tide. This has proven to be an excellent move, in both sales and critical acclaim, only further demonstrated by this new triad of releases. It’s obvious that Furlan Marri knows that it’s just a matter of time before other brands catch up to them, and I’m glad to see that they’re making their head start count time and time again.
Reference: 20205
Specifications:
- Case Size: 38mm case diameter, 38mm lug-to-lug
- Case Thickness: 8.95mm
- Case Material: Stainless Steel
- Dial: Brown, blue or green with salmon, silver or cream accents
- Movement: Manual Wind Peseux 7001 movement
- Power Reserve: Approx. 42 hours
- Water Resistance: 50m (5 bar)
- Strap/Bracelet: Quick-change calf leather with steel pin buckle
