In lower than 5 years since its founding, unbiased model Furlan Marri has grow to be a favourite amongst fans and business insiders for its classic Patek-inspired styling, reasonably priced worth factors, and nigh-on fanatical consideration to element. This mixture of attributes has allowed the model to climb greater than lots of its better-established rivals in a remarkably brief time, making high-profile showings on the GPHG and Solely Watch alongside a few of the most prestigious names within the business. With this in thoughts, expectations for the model’s second time-only mechanical watch assortment are decidedly excessive. Reasonably than taking part in it secure, nevertheless, Furlan Marri makes use of its latest product line as a possibility to revive one of the distinctive classic costume watch kinds — the disco volante. Italian for “flying saucer,” disco volante watches have been a placing visible assertion in innumerable model catalogs from the ‘30s to the ‘70s, and the spherical, absolutely lugless case design that defines the fashion makes them simply as distinctive and visually arresting at present. The brand new Furlan Marri Disco Volante takes its cues from early prewar disco volante designs, and in true Furlan Marri style, provides a wealth of visible element, fastidiously thought of proportions, and each motion and ending high quality that outstrips almost every thing at this worth level.
The Furlan Marri Disco Volante’s chrome steel case wears its Artwork Deco-era inspirations on its sleeve. Whereas its 38mm extensive dimensions could seem mid-sized by at present’s requirements, this uncommon type ensures the carrying expertise is mild, elegant, and intensely compact. With vestigial lugs tucked beneath the primary case physique, the lug-to-lug carrying expertise feels far smaller than 38mm, contemplating a conventional 38mm case’s elongated footprint on the wrist. Even the broad-toothed crown is tucked in flush to the case aspect at 3 o’clock, making the case define an ideal circle when seen from above. This makes the Disco Volante a difficult proposition for bigger wrists, however for the smaller-wristed, it exudes offbeat classic attraction. Flip your gaze to the aspect, although, and the complexity of this design reveals itself. Each the bezel and the primary case physique seem to have the very same form at a look: rounded, mirror-polished higher surfaces paired with extra-slim brushed vertical sides. Look nearer, and the small print reveal themselves. The bezel is concave, whereas the primary case floor is convex, including an surprising complexity to the way in which this design performs with the sunshine. Regardless of the tiered case construction, the Disco Volante is handsomely slim, measuring solely 8.9mm thick general. Furlan Marri suits the watch with a sapphire show caseback to showcase the extensively-finished handwound motion inside, and charges the look ahead to a fragile 50 meters of water resistance.
Like many of the model’s earlier designs, Furlan Marri equips the Disco Volante with a visually complicated sector dial. As well as, the model performs closely with visible texture, graphic design, and layering right here, making a format that manages to be each intricate and refined. Our evaluate pattern arrived within the “Havana Disco” colorway, mixing a matte salmon base dial with scales in a deep, radially brushed root beer brown. The crisp, barely raised printing for the minutes, hours, and 6 o’clock seconds observe matches the salmon tone, making a cohesive, heat, and deeply characterful look that calls for consideration on the wrist. As with the remainder of the watch, the magic actually is within the particulars right here, such because the smooth, gently rounded typeface used for the hour numerals, the fastidiously thought of line weights of the open outer minutes scale, and the slender grooves in between every layer of the dial floor. Every of those grooves is stuffed with “Outdated Radium” Tremendous-LumiNova, giving the Disco Volante a weak however unorthodox glow in low mild. The dial {hardware} receives the same degree of care to the remainder of the format right here, with sharp, distinctive fountain pen-style polished palms that includes gently curved surfaces. Reasonably than the abrupt transition between reflection and shadow that faceted palms have, this rounded method permits for a softer, extra gradual visible transition in altering mild, whereas nonetheless creating pure highlights and lowlights. Furlan Marri solely applies three rectangular indices to the Disco Volante’s dial at 12 o’clock, 3 o’clock, and 9 o’clock. Whereas they visually counterbalance the polished operating seconds hand at 6 o’clock, the shortage of different polished components could make these indices really feel barely misplaced from sure angles.
Furlan Marri powers the Disco Volante with the traditional Peseux 7001 hand-wound motion. The 7001 has been a staple of slim, conventional watches for many years, however its presentation right here is way from off-the-shelf. Every of the bridges has been absolutely redesigned by Furlan Marri, and every is topped with crisp Côtes de Genève, hand-polished anglage for the sides, jewel sinks, screw surrounds, black-polished screws, and gilt-filled engraved textual content. The steadiness cock receives related therapy, and the mainspring barrel receives contrasting sunburst brushing. All advised, it’s a deeply spectacular degree of ending for a watch on this worth bracket, and its rearranged format helps protect the elegant late-‘30s really feel the model goals for right here. Nevertheless, regardless of all these aesthetic updates, the Peseux 7001 performs in keeping with its off-the-shelf counterparts, with a median 42-hour energy reserve at a 21,600 bph beat price, and doesn’t function hacking seconds.
As one can think about, the tiny, hidden lugs of the Furlan Marri Disco Volante make strap pairings tough. That makes the usual strap pairing an necessary one, and the included saddle brown leather-based strap largely doesn’t disappoint. It’s mild, suitably skinny, and impressively supple, with a fair hue however a delicate, detailed seen texture. That stated, discovering another strap that might match these lugs could be a battle.
Furlan Marri has quickly grow to be one of many timepiece neighborhood’s indie darlings for its affordable pricing, luxurious vintage-inspired fashion, and spectacular showings at a few of the luxurious watch business’s most prestigious occasions. Following up on this observe file ought to be a tough proposition, however the brand new Furlan Marri Disco Volante builds on the model’s foundations with a novel, richly detailed design, a brilliantly completed historic motion, and refined particulars that stretch past any of its earlier mass-market choices. The Furlan Marri Disco Volante is obtainable now by means of licensed sellers. MSRP for this watch stands at $2,780 USD as of press time. For extra data, please go to the model’s web site.
