Furlan Marri Introduces a Trio of Chronographs in their Permanent Collection

If you head over to Furlan Marri’s website right now and view their chronograph selection, you’ll discover something that you might not have expected a year ago: an “Order” button. When Furlan Marri mania swept the watch world last year, their meca-quartz chronographs were among the hottest watches on the secondary market, commanding asking prices that were frankly astounding given the competitive (but fair) retail price of around $500. For a variety of reasons (great marketing, to start) it felt like these chronos would forever be unobtainium if you missed out on the Kickstarter campaign. Just another hype watch, appearing and promptly disappearing right before our eyes. But Furlan Marri, to their credit, seem genuinely interested in making their watches as available as possible, in spite of the prevalence of drop culture that has fully infiltrated our hobby. Their recent time only automatic, for example, had a ten day ordering window earlier this summer, allowing any collector ample opportunity to purchase one. And now, just weeks later, Furlan Marri has announced a trio of chronographs in their “Permanent Collection,” which will be produced indefinitely. No hype, just click a button and they send you a watch. Imagine that. 

The new watches are natural successors to the initial lineup of chronographs that were released last year. Their aesthetic is still very much rooted in classic 1940s chronograph design while not explicitly copying any particular watch from that era. The cases have classic curvy lines with spindly lugs and other small details that make it apparent that the brand has really committed to a very specific look (the decagonal caseback with circular brushing and the flat crown jump right out to me). I reviewed one of their chronos from the initial launch, and was genuinely impressed with the quality of the finishing for a watch at this price point – I can’t imagine anyone will feel cheated after getting one of these watches in hand. 

It’s the dials, though, that I think really caught on with collectors. They’re highly evocative and just very well executed. Of the three new watches, the Nero Sabbia is perhaps the most adventurous, using a single register at the 9:00 position and plenty of gilt accents for a pleasing asymmetrical look. The Rosso Grigio mixes gray tones with sharp red accents for a watch that’s more colorful than you’d expect and perhaps has a bit more of a modern aesthetic than other watches Furlan Marri has produced. And the Castagna is dominated by earthy tones, and looks to me a lot like a watch that might have developed some patina over several decades. It’s an interesting way of suggesting age without simply resting on beige colored lume. 

All three of these watches are undeniably attractive, and I think they offer a range of flavors that’s appropriate for a series that will be available from the brand for the long haul. The retail price for all three is $550, which for a mec-quartz powered chronograph with this level of finishing is still pretty compelling. It’s gratifying to see that Furlan Marri seems to have a plan for sticking around, and isn’t just here to sell us on an annual limited edition that sells out immediately, well before most would-be customers can make an informed buying decision. Between their new, slightly higher end automatic and these three chronos, they are striking a balance between watches that are available for everyone and more limited, special releases, and it’s completely reasonable to expect that this release strategy can be replicated repeatedly. Furlan Marri