Furlan Marri Revives The Famed Flying Saucer Design

Within the burgeoning micro-brand space, few have experienced the level of anticipation that we’ve seen around Furlan Marri. The young Geneva-based brand has shown a remarkable level of maturity, from its initial launch of quartz powered chronographs, to its stunning Secular Perpetual Calendar entry to the Only Watch auction, this brand has exhibited a sense of style far beyond its years. This week, we’re seeing the next chapter emerge in the form of a new permanent collection called the Disco Volante. The new watch offers a balance between contemporary trends and classic design DNA, brought together in an utterly unique fashion. The result is compelling, accessible, and even a bit surprising. 

Furlan Marri emerged in 2021 from founders Andrea Furlan and Hamad Al Marri, showcasing a deft hand at recreating classic design styles in new and interesting ways. Their earliest watches were hybrid meca-quartz powered chronographs that quickly garnered attention from the enthusiast community for their historical reverence, and impeccable attention to detail. As new watches were released under increasing scrutiny, the brand only seemed to flourish, even winning a GPHG award in its first year. The momentum continued with a stunning Secular Perpetual Calendar created for the Only Watch charity auction, which would go on to achieve 130,000 CHF when the auction took place in early 2024. The brand may be young, but it has quickly found themselves in a very enviable position within the small independent brand space. 

While we await the arrival of a commercially available perpetual calendar (though I’d settle for an annual), Furlan Marri continues to flesh out its existing Mechanical family. The newest collection is the Disco Volante, which is an odd mix of art deco and ‘80s funk wrapped in a contemporary execution, and the whole thing works way better than it has any business doing. The Disco Volante (Italian for "Flying Saucer") theme factors into the shape of the case, which is flat and circular with hidden lugs and a recessed crown. The ridges of the case leading into the dial play up this theme, though it never goes too far thanks to the well-considered proportions. 

The steel case measures 38mm in diameter as well as in height, as the lugs are worked into the underside of the design. This has been done in a rather discreet manner, as the total thickness of the case is a tick under 9mm, meaning this watch should offer an equally interesting experience on the wrist as it is for the eyes. There’s a lot going on here, with the case pushing focus toward the dial, while itself serving as an interesting component of the design. This is a tough balance to strike, and while each element of the design has plenty of detail, everything works together in a complimentary manner. 

The dial is built up in layers, both visually and literally, with a solid section in the middle being framed by chapter rings outlining the hours on the inside, and minutes on the outside. These sections terminate at the subsidiary seconds placed at 6 o’clock on the dial. There is a valley to a lower section of the dial filled with lume separating the hours and minutes, and framing the subdial. This gives the central portions of the dial a floating appearance, which is exaggerated in low light situations. The style and proportions of the hour numerals, which are separated by polished bars at 3, 9, and 12 o’clock, reinforce the contemporary elements at play, while the polished syringe-style hands push things back a bit further. 

The Disco Volante is launching today in three colorways: the Havana Disco in brown and salmon tones; the Disco Verde in green and sand tones; and the Disco Celeste in blue and silver tones. Each offers a unique personality within the design, with the Havana and Verde in particular picking up on throwback vibes. The Celeste feels crisp and modern in comparison, but the colors take to the design just as easily. This is a collection that I can see being pushed into different directions with new colorways, which I’d love to see happen in the near future. 

The Disco Volante collection is using a hand-wound mechanical movement, the Peseux Caliber 7001. The movement is visible through an exhibition caseback, which is a very good thing as the design helps tell the story of the watch. The bridges have been redesigned by Furlan Marri, and there are a mixture of finishing techniques on display, including hand-finished beveling, côtes de Genève, sunray brushing, and black polishing. There’s a level of respect given to a movement that doesn’t normally receive it, and it shows a brand committed to a bigger picture. 

The Disco Volante is very much a part of a larger picture emerging with Furlan Marri, and as refreshing as its attention to detail is, I’d like to note that the brand doesn’t seem to be rushing upmarket. It is still offering the meca-quartz hybrid references, as well as three hander mechanical references. The Disco Volante takes the movement a step further, and its $2,780 price tag reflects that.

Furlan Marri Disco Volante

Case size: 38 mm
Lug to lug: 38 mm
Thickness with sapphire crystal: 8.95mm
Thickness without sapphire crystal: 8.1mm
Water resistance: 50m

Movement: Peseux 7001 manually wound mechanical movement, bridges redesigned by Furlan Marri
Diameter: 23.73mm
Thickness: 2.50mm
Number of jewels: 17
Power reserve: 42 hours
Frequency: 21,600 vph

Dial colors: 

• Havana Disco reference: two-tone dial in brown and salmon hues. Double-printed and applied hour-markers, Old Radium LumiNova inserts
• Disco Celeste reference: two-tone dial in green and sand hues. Double-printed and applied hour-markers, BGW9 Super-LumiNova inserts
• Disco Verde reference: two-tone dial in blue and silver hues. Double-printed and applied hour-markers, Old Radium LumiNova inserts

Price: $2,780