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Furlan Marri is shaking off its dressy patent-leather shoes and sliding into its dancing kicks. FM is best known for two things: making affordable watches, and taking direct inspiration from coveted vintage models. FM’s past releases include a $620 homage to a Patek Philippe watch colloquially known as the Tasti Tondi. Now, FM is back with its third line, known as the Disco Volante.
With the Disco Volante, FM is staying true to its vintage-inspired roots while evolving slightly. I have come to associate FM with sober dress watches, but its latest release feels like the result of a few Tequila sunrises and a night out dancing. The new line takes its name from a case shape, Italian for “flying saucer,” that has been embraced by many brands and is known for its wide bezel encompassing the dial. Many brands embraced the style over the decades: there are examples out there from Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin, and Universal Genève. FM’s new watch borrows that exact name but innovates on the shape.
Most vintage Disco Volantes you’ll find are rather flat, but FM gave the shape some much-needed height. The watch’s case is built slightly like a tiered layered cake with one piece stacked atop another. I got to spend some time with the watch last week before its release and really enjoyed the extra dimension. “We loved the shapes of Disco Volante cases from the mid-to-late 1930s,” Andrea Furlan, the brand’s co-founder, said in an email. “The dream was to have our own take on the Disco Volante design with a modern twist.” In addition to the curved case, FM also added lume to the dial to give it a more modern and sporty feel—this is now the chicest way to check the time on the dancefloor. The curved case and lume aren’t the only contemporary tweaks to the watch, either. Unlike many vintage models that command prices like Andy Warhol paintings, FM’s new Disco Volante costs just $2,780. (They’re available for pre-order now.)
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